POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Limited to just six hits and one run, the Mount Saint Mary College baseball team lost a non-conference game to Vassar College on Wednesday afternoon, 7-1.  The Brewers improved to 3-4 in dropping the Knights to 2-10.

Junior starter Daniel Berkowitz (1-0) earned his first collegiate win, allowing one run and scattering six hits with one walk in five innings. Sophomore Race Bottini (two innings), freshman Lawrence Flicker (one inning), and freshman Zander Mrlik (one inning) stifled the Mount over the final four innings to preserve the win.

The Brewer bats gave their pitchers an early cushion in the first inning, as Vassar's first four batters reached and came around to score. Freshman shortstop Mike Perrone led off with a single and three consecutive walks scored Perrone, loading the bases for junior outfielder Devon Luongo. Luongo laced a liner under the Mount Saint Mary second baseman's glove to score junior first baseman Joe Bubar and sophomore outfielder Sal Costanzo. Junior designated hitter Joe Castilla followed with an RBI fielder's choice to give Vassar the 4-0 lead.

The Blue Knights look poised to respond in the top of the second, as sophomore Dan McCrea (Hicksville, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice, senior Rich DeRosa (Valley Stream, N.Y.) singled up the middle, and senior Mike Umphlett (North Stonington, Conn.) drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Berkowitz escaped the jam, however, inducing a groundout to third base and allowed just one hit over the next three innings.

Mount Saint Mary scored its run in the fifth as DeRosa led off with a single, advanced to second on a hit batsman, took third on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Michael Matuk (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and came home on an RBI groundout from sophomore Max Tecce (Geln Cove, N.Y.).

Vassar responded in the bottom of the inning with some sharp hitting as Costanzo led off with a long double, advancing to third on a single from freshman third baseman Conor Gallagher. Although Mount reliever Carl Henchey (Coxsackie, N.Y.) induced a double-play from the next batter to erase Gallagher from the base paths, the Brewers kept the pressure on with two outs. Castilla rapped a run-scoring double to left field and junior catcher Mike Plude singled to score Castilla as Vassar plated two runs on four hits in the inning.

The Brewers recorded 11 hits on the day paced by a 3-for-5, one run effort from Perrone, including a standup triple. Perrone also had a strong day at shortstop, backing up his pitchers with some impressive plays. Luongo was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Plude was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double. Castilla had two RBIs and a double, and Costanzo went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a double.

Junior Billy Casey (Marlboro, N.Y.) and DeRosa had two hits apiece for the Knights. Junior Matthew Paci (Florida, N.Y.) took the loss, giving up five earned runs on four hits and three walks in one and a third innings. Henchey finished the game, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Mount Saint Mary returns to action on Saturday as they'll host Farmingdale State College in a Skyline Conference double dip.

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