AUBURNDALE, FL - The Oneonta baseball team lost 3-2 in a closely fought game to Vassar on Thursday morning at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Red Dragons fall to 4-5 overall, while the Brewers move to 3-3.

Senior Josh Gilkey (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minor) singled up the middle after the first out of the top of the first inning. Senior Joey Dwyer (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham Wading River) doubled in an RBI to give Oneonta a 1-0 lead.

Vassar responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame. The lead-off batter grounded out, and senior James Torres (North Salem, NY/North Salem) struck out another. Daniel Laderman doubled in a run from Jensen Bergman. Laderman scored on a Noah Stockman single to take a 2-1 lead.

The Brewers scored again in the third, with Laderman singling in a run. Oneonta found some offense in the top of the fifth, with Jacoby hitting a lead-off triple to left field. Gilkery used a sacrifice fly to bring Jacoby home and cut the lead to 3-2.

Strong pitching on both sides closed the game, with neither side scoring again. In the ninth, Vassar's Jack Blau struck out the final three Oneonta batters to grab the save.

Torres (0-1) went 5.1 innings with five strikeouts, four hits, and three runs. Fifth-year Tom Roefaro (Utica, NY/Notre Dame) struck out three batters in 2.2 innings.

Danny Wellner (1-1) went 3.0 innings with three hits, one run, and two strikeouts.

Oneonta closes out the Florida trip on Fri. Mar. 14 with a doubleheader against Emerson starting at 9 a.m.