Baseball | 4/6/2012 9:07:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Click here for game one stats --- Click here for game two stats

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - For the third straight time on the road, the RIT baseball team (8-11, 4-6 Liberty League) split a doubleheader, its first two contests of a four-game series against Vassar College (6-12, 4-6 Liberty League) losing 6-2 in game one, then rallying for a 10-8 win in game two on Friday at Prentiss Baseball Field.

Southpaw Scott Allen (2-1) led Vassar to a 6-2 win in game one, allowing two runs on four hits in six strong innings on the mound. In game two, Vassar scored runs in each of the first four innings to take an 8-2 lead, but RIT rallied with a seven-run sixth inning en route to a 10-8 win. Chris Dickinson (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) threw four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits to earn the win for RIT, while Tyler Leichtenberger (Warren, PA/Warren Area), ranked 12th in Division III in saves, picked up his team record sixth save of the season.

RIT has seven saves in its eight wins this season.

Vassar scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-0 lead in game one. Brett Zaziski was hit by a pitch and scored from first on a double to right center by Jason Garfinkel. Vassar added two more runs with an error by the third baseman and an RBI-single up the middle by Sal Costanzo.

Trailing 4-1 in the top of the sixth, RIT scored a run on a groundout by Brian Brazee (Auburn, NY/Auburn) and then threatened with runners on the corners with one out. Allen escaped the jam with a textbook 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Vassar added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to go up 6-2 as Sean Morash slapped a double to left to bring in Dave Robbins and A.J. Kim. Zander Mrlik shut the door with a scoreless inning in relief to end the game.

Down 8-2 in game two, the Tigers rallied for seven runs in the top of the sixth to take a 9-8 lead and chase Vassar starter Lawrence Flicker from the game after 5 1/3 innings. With the bases loaded after a pair of singles and a hit batter, Jaren Bell (Rochester, NY/Brighton) sparked the rally with an RBI-single to left. Flicker struck out the next batter for one out, but allowed an RBI-single by Ron Canestro (East Amherst, NY/Nichols) and walked in a run as RIT pulled within 8-5. Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) doubled down the right field line for two runs and Brazee put RIT ahead 9-8 with a two-RBI single to center.

The Tigers added a run in the top of the eighth with an RBI-single by Corey McEvoy (Hilton, NY/Hilton). RIT proved stingy with a lead once again, improving to 8-0 when leading after the sixth inning.

Roman was 1-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs.

The two teams conclude their season series on Saturday with a doubleheader that gets underway at 12 p.m.