POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Senior V.J. Collins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) was dominant on the mound for the Manhattanville baseball team on Wednesday afternoon, leading the Valiants to an 8-2 victory over Vassar in non-conference play. 

Collins started on the rubber for Manhattanville (18-12), tossing eight strong innings, allowing two runs on six total hits while striking out six Brewers. Vassar (12-10) struggled to get much going offensively against the senior right-hander. 

At the plate, the 3-4-5 hitters for Manhattanville helped give Collins the cushion he needed to hold off the Brewers. Juniors Bobby Guerra (Bronx, N.Y./Arlington) and Jeff Moskowitz (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) as well as freshman Robbie Lynch (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) combined for five hits, five RBIs and three runs. Moskowitz collected three hits at the plate for the Valiants, proving to be a problem for the Brewers. 

The Valiants jumped out early on Vassar, scoring five runs in the first inning, starting with a two-run triple from Guerra. With Guerra on third base, Lynch stepped up next, connecting on a single, bringing Guerra home to make it 3-0. Lynch and junior Nick Euvino (Bronx, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) eventually found their way to home plate as the Valiants held a commanding 5-0 lead after batting around in the first.

With Collins continuing to deny Vassar any chance of scoring, the 5-0 lead proved to be more than enough. The Valiants were held scoreless in both the second and third, but were able to collect two more runs in the fourth. As Lynch connected on a sacrifice fly, scoring classmate Chris Conklin (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland), Moskowitz stepped up next, belting a single to centerfield, giving the Valiants a 7-0 lead after the fourth.

The Brewers eventually chipped away at their seven-run deficit in the fifth and sixth, scoring one run in each inning off Collins, cutting the Valiants lead to five, 7-2. Manhattanville grabbed an insurance run in the eighth when junior Nate Trashansky (Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) drove in an RBI on a pinch hit single through the right side, scoring Moskowitz.
 
Collins was eventually replaced by junior Zack Zareva (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) prior to the ninth inning, but no harm was done as Zareva closed out the Brewers en route to a 8-2 victory.

Manhattanville will honor seniors Alex Basso (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley), Ryan Blinderman (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde), Spencer Samelson (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck), David Jones (Lanesboro, Mass./Mt. Greylock) and Collins on Friday when they take on Eastern at Manhattanville Field starting at 3:30 p.m. Live stats can be found via GoValiants.com.