Stevens Slugs Way to 15-8 Win Over Vassar; Meerendonk Blasts 20th Career Homer
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (April 20, 2011) – Senior Kenneth Meerendonk blasted his 20th career home run and seven players tallied two or more hits as the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team defeated host Vassar College, 15-8, on Wednesday afternoon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Meerendonk, senior catcher Denis Ackermann, and junior outfielder Ryan Kiczek all drove in three runs for Stevens (7-17), and sophomore righty Tyler Courter earned his first win of the season on the mound.
After plating a single run in the top of the first inning courtesy of a run-scoring double from senior center fielder Russ Grimes, the Ducks pushed across six runs in the second, all with two outs. Senior third baseman Mike Pagliaro drew a one out walk to get things started, and freshman right fielder Dan Allen did the same to put runners at first and second. Following a fly out, junior second baseman Tom Phillips notched an RBI single that eventually scored two runs because of a throwing error, and Meerendonk delivered a two-run homer down the left-field line to make it 5-0 Stevens. Ackermann reached on an error and Grimes walked to again set the table with two outs. Junior Matt Glassman singled to push across another run with Kiczek doing the same for a 7-0 lead after two innings.
Vassar came back with a big bottom half of the second with five runs on four hits and a pair of Stevens errors, but the Ducks regained hold of the game with two more scores in the third. Allen led off with his first career home run to make it 8-5 Stevens and take away much of the momentum the Brewers had gained. Sophomore shortstop Michael Donovan delivered a single with his next at-bat and eventually was driven in with a two-out single off the bat of Ackermann.
The Ducks pushed across another run in the fifth as Phillips singled to lead off the inning and Meerendonk followed with an RBI double. Vassar responded in their half of the inning with two runs on three hits in what turned out to be Courter’s final inning to make the score 10-7, but the Ducks put the game out of reach in the seventh with a four-spot on six hits highlighted by two-run doubles from Ackermann and Kiczek.
Vassar was able to scratch out four hits in the eighth inning but only pushed across one run in the frame as the Ducks notched their final tally thanks to a double from senior designated hitter TJ Alcorn and an RBI fielder’s choice from Allen.
Courter went five innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on nine hits. The sophomore struck out six and walked two. Senior Kyle Hanas came on and did a strong job in three innings of relief, allowing just one run on five hits and three strikeouts. Junior Jeffrey Hart pitched the final inning for the Ducks and did not allow a run.
Vassar used six pitchers on the afternoon, and sophomore starter Lawrence Flicker (Plantation, Fla.) took the loss, giving up seven runs (three earned) in 1.2 innings.
Phillips, who was on base all day, went 3-for-5 at the top of the lineup and scored four times. Meerendonk went 3-for-6 with a homer, three runs batted in, and two runs scored. Ackerman was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, and Kiczek was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Allen went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in, with Donovan and Glassman each tallying two hits.
As a team, Stevens totaled 21 hits and 14 runs batted in. The Ducks scored multiple times in three innings and had runners cross the plate in six frames.
Junior Liam Lee (East Hampton, N.Y.) and senior Joe Bubar (Washinton, D.C.) each had three RBI for Vassar (10-15).