Widener Box Score / Mount Saint Joseph Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team opened its 2006 schedule with losses in its first two games. In the season opener, Widener scored six late runs for a 7-4 victory. Mount Saint Joseph, Rensselaer’s second opponent, also fought back with a late rally, scoring 17 runs in the final two innings for a 25-16 victory to drop RPI to 0-2.
Against Widener, Rensselaer held a 3-1 lead after six innings before the Pioneers scored three times in the seventh inning and three more in the eighth – all unearned – on their way to a 7-4 victory. Junior Brian Campbell (Media, PA/Cardinal O’Hara) earned the win for Widener, which is now 8-2.
Sophomore Tim Klein (Westwood, NJ/St. Joseph Regional) started for RPI and went six innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run with seven strikeouts. Sophomore designated hitter Stevan Slusher (Pedricktown, NJ/Penns Grove) led the way offensively with two hits and three runs batted in. Junior Jason Pollard (Hudson, NY/Hudson), a catcher, added two hits and two runs while senior outfielder Michael Passante (Highland, NY/Highland) had two hits, a run and an RBI.
RPI: Tim Klein, Ryan Ool (7/Loss), Ian Titcomb (7), Andrew Novick (7) and Jason Pollard. WID: Campbell (Win), Harriston (Save) and Matt Fischer.
Rensselaer fell to 0-2 after allowing 17 runs in the final two innings to Mount Saint Joseph. Michael Mayer (Fairfield, OH/Hamilton Badin) paced the winners, going 4 for 5 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and six runs batted in. Reliever Nate Condon (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) earned the win for the Lions, who are now 6-1.
Junior shortstop Adam Lasek (Waterford, NY/Waterford) was Rensselaer’s offensive catalyst, collecting three hits, including a double and a home run, with two runs and four runs batted in. Also contributing were Passante, who was 3 for 4 with a run and two RBI, freshman Jim Devine (Castleton, NY/Columbia), who had two hits, including a double, and two RBI, and senior Joe Ihnatolya (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), who had two hits, including a triple, and two runs batted in. Sophomore Eric Redding (Kerhonkson, NY/Rondout Valley) suffered the loss for RPI.
MSJ: Waite, Murphy (2), Condon (7/Win), Jones (8) and Katsetos. Joe Zongol, Andy Opperman (4), Eric Redding (8/Loss), Novick (8), Ian Titcomb (8), Ool (9), Dan Walker (9) and and Pollard.
