The Scarlet and Brown scored 25 runs on the day and fanned 23 Vassar batters, as the St. Lawrence University baseball team swept Vassar 20-5, 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at Tom Fay Field.

First-year Sean Desjardins hit a walk-off single in game two to give St. Lawrence the series sweep. Jimmy Liberatore was lethal in game one plating six runs on two hits as the junior smashed his second grand slam of the season.

Along with Liberatore, Chris Watson, Jake Delaney, Nicholas Butler and Cristian Forgione all hit home runs in the wins.

On the hill, Jack Sylvia threw a gem in game one earning the win on six innings pitched. The junior fanned eight in the first three innings of his win and finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts on the day.

Seniors Andrew Matthews (6) and Liam Reiner (5) were also proficient with the punch-out in game two. Matthews went four innings from the bump, while Reiner came in for the final three innings and earned the win giving up no runs, and no hits in a dominant performance.

The season for the Saints ended with the wins and gave the team a 19-16-0 overall record and a 9-11-0 record in Liberty League play. The team finished with an above .500 record for the first time since the 2014 season.

"It was great to send that group of seniors off with a couple of awesome wins," said head coach Kenny Collins "That's a special group of guys and they are going to be missed by everyone. I know this team is going to come back motivated to be a playoff team next year, and that's our goal as we move into the offseason."

Game 1: St. Lawrence 20, Vassar 5

Game one of the twin bill started as a pitcher's duel, one that was highlighted primarily by Sylvia. The junior came out firing on the hill as he set the tone by striking out the side in the top of the first. After a one-two-three bottom of the first for Vassar, Sylvia kept pouring in strikes fanning two more in the top of the second inning.

Vassar once again answered with another one-two-three inning featuring three fly-outs.

In the top of the third, the junior had some trouble with runners on the base paths, yet still managed to strike out three batters in the half-inning to bring his total to eight strikeouts through just three innings of work, setting a new personal career-high for strikeouts in a game, which previously sat at seven.

Offense finally broke through in the bottom of the third, and it came in exciting fashion. Desjardins roped a leadoff single to right field, but after two outs it was up to C Watson. The senior cashed in with two outs smashing a two-run home run over the left field fence. The home run was the first for C Watson in his college career.

The Brewers wasted little time answering back hitting a two-run home run of their own in the top of the fourth inning.

The Scarlet and Brown broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth with a Michael Goretti RBI-single, then proceeded to break the game wide-open in the sixth. With no outs away in the sixth, the Saints worked their way to a bases loaded situation and cashed in with a run from a wild pitch to start things off.

Forgione and Goretti then hit back-to-back doubles to bring three runs home and make it a 7-4 game. The crooked inning was capped off by a big blast from Liberatore, who also capitalized on the jammed bases. The junior was thrown a fastball and hit a no-doubter grand slam to balloon the lead to 11-4. The grand slam was the second on the season for the clutch-hitting Liberatore.

Vassar would get one back in the next half-inning before the Saints would pour it on once again. St. Lawrence got their first run of the seventh across on a wild pitch, before Liberatore and Andrew Circelli each hit two-RBI doubles. Delaney was next to score as the senior joined Watson in hitting his first career home run. The two-RBI shot was hoisted over the left field fence to lift the lead to 19-3.

The two teams would trade runs the rest of the way en route to the 20-5 Saints win.

Sylvia earned the win as he dominated his way to 11 strikeouts in six innings of work giving up just two runs and three hits in his career day. Brett Parker pitched two innings in relief, before Brenden O'Neil closed things out in the ninth.  

 

Game 2: St. Lawrence 5, Vassar 4

After the fireworks of game one, both teams settled in as runs were harder to find.

Fantastic pitching highlighted the first one and a half innings before Forgione put the Saints on the board. In the bottom of the second, the senior catcher showed off his power with a high towering home run to right field to make it a 1-0 game.

For just the second time on the day, the Brewers hung a crooked number on the board as they took a 3-1 lead. Back-to-back singles gave way to two runs as Vassar's DH Lee smacked a deep double to left field to score two. The lead was pushed to two later as the Brewers brought another runner home via a squeeze bunt.

Vassar scored again in the top of the fourth off a wild pitch to take the 4-1 lead.

Once again in the bottom of the fifth, the Scarlet and Brown would get on the board with a solo home run. Butler, who was leading off the inning, annihilated a pitch up in the zone over the left field wall to jolt the dugout and cut the lead back to two.

The Saints used the momentum to their advantage in the bottom of the sixth as the team tied up the contest. The inning started with a walk to Forgione and the senior was pushed to third as Ryan Courtwright and Goretti each singled to load the bases. Forgione would eventually come home to score off a wild pitch.

The next at-bat was a weird one as C Watson earned a walk, but the fourth ball was wild and skipped to the backstop. Pinch runner Stephen Colangelo came in to score, while Goretti went to third. During the confusion, C Watson made a brilliant play stealing second as the pitcher and catcher were talking over the play while no one called time, which took away the force out.

The Brewers would escape the inning tied at 4-4, but with Reiner dealing on the hill, the game went to the bottom of the seventh.

Drew Courtwright opened the inning with a single and was pinch run by Brett Federico. The speedy Federico advanced to second off a failed pick off attempt that hit him, then was sacrificed over to third by Forgione. Next up was Desjardins, who ended the day and the series by scorching a ball down the left field line to walk off with the 5-4 win.

Matthews pitched effectively through four innings striking out six batters along the way. Reiner earned the win in his sparkling outing as the senior capped off his St. Lawrence career with a three inning, no run, no hit, five strikeout effort.