POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (April 22, 2009) – Junior left fielder Anthony Andrews drove in four runs to help lift the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team to a 7-4 victory over Vassar College Wednesday evening in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Sophomore pitcher Jeff Hart got the nod and threw for four innings, allowed just four hits and two earned runs to collect his first win of the season. A strong performance by the Ducks bullpen helped propel Stevens to its 13th win of the season (13-17) as the Ducks called upon five different arms with junior lefty Joe Finora finishing things off en route to his first save of the year.
Stevens struck first in the top half of the second. With two outs, Andrews recorded his first pair of RBI off a single up the middle to plate senior first baseman Dan Silva and freshman infielder Chris Coutros for the first set of runs by the Ducks. They were back at it again in the top frame of the third when sophomore catcher Denis Ackermann delivered a double to right centerfield. Junior right fielder Russ Grimes was hit by a pitch to put men on first and second with one out. Following an infield fly out, Silva came through with a two-out double to left field to clear the bases and extend Stevens' lead to 4-0. Coutros then blasted a single to left field to drive in Silva for the third run of the inning.
The Brewers got on the board in the bottom of the third. With two outs, junior outfielder Adam Murphy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) singled to left field. The following batter, sophomore infielder Joe Bubar (Washington, D.C.) roped a triple to drive in Murphy from first. Vassar added its second run of the game in the bottom half of the fourth. With the bases loaded and no outs, sophomore catcher Mike Plude (Shelton, Conn.) lifted a sacrifice fly to plate freshman infielder Sal Costanzo (Cooper City, Fla.). The inning ended on a 4-6-3 double play to get the Ducks out of a potential jam.
In the top of the sixth, Stevens added their final two runs of the contest off a two-run homer from Andrews to deep left field for his first knock of the season. The Ducks held the Brewers to two runs over the final four innings to pullout the 7-4 victory. The Ducks received a solid performance from their bullpen. Freshman pitcher T.J. Griffin came in to relieve Hart as he went two innings, allowed two hits and struck out a pair of batters. Freshman pitcher Rudy Morin was then called upon to pitch in the seventh, as freshman pitcher Vincent Vinci took care of the eighth. It was then Finora that closed things out for Stevens to secure its 13th win of the year.
Silva finished the game having gone 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI to go with his two runs scored. Andrews also batted 2-for-4 with a run scored and 4 RBI. Coutros went 1-for-3 and manufactured the other RBI for Stevens.
The Ducks will return to the diamond on Saturday when they host Rochester Institute of Technology in an Empire 8 twin bill with Game 1 slatted for a noon start.
