Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score
TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team pounded out 26 runs on 18 hits in the second game of a Liberty League doubleheader with the University of Rochester to salvage a split of the twinbill with a 26-9 victory at Robison Field. The Yellowjackets won the first game, 4-3. Rochester, which is now 11-14 overall, remains in first place in the league with a 10-4 mark. RPI, the third place team, is 16-8 overall and 6-4 in the Liberty League.
In the nightcap, seniors Rich Mundy (Norwood, NY/Norwood-Norfolk) and Joe Ihnatolya (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), the fifth and sixth place hitters, combined for eight hits, nine runs and six runs batted in. Mundy, a second baseman, was 4 for 6 with two doubles, five runs scored and two RBI. Ihnatolya, a first baseman, was 4 for 5, including two doubles and a home run, four runs and four runs batted in. Three other players also had multiple hits, including junior Jason Pollard (Hudson, NY/Hudson), who was 3 for 6 with a home run, four runs and two RBI.
Sophomore Joe Zongol (Flower Mound, TX/Southington) earned the win on the mound to improve to 4-1 for Rensselaer, which scored multiple runs in seven of eight innings.
Rochester was paced offensively by junior third baseman Frank Infurna (Rochester, NY/Webster Schroeder), who was 3 for 4 with a double and home run, three runs and two RBI. Sophomore Peter McEneaney (New York, NY/Collegiate) suffered the loss. He is now 3-2.
In the opener, the Yellowjackets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and held on. Starter Blair Veenema (Penfield, NY/Fairport) earned the win with 5.1 innings of work and sophomore John Fishback (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder) got the save by pitching the final 1.2 innings.
RPI, which scored two runs in the second inning and once in the sixth, saw sophomore starter Tim Klein (Westwood, NJ/St. Joseph Regional) go the distance. He allowed just one earned run and no walks with five strikeouts in falling to 1-2.
Rensselaer and Rochester play another doubleheader on Sunday at noon at Robison Field in Troy.
