Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team pounded out 23 runs on 30 hits and got solid pitching on its way to a doubleheader sweep of Vassar College, 11-2 and 12-2, and clinching the Liberty League’s regular season title.

RPI, the 24th-ranked team in the nation, is now 30-8 overall and 18-4 in the league and will host the league’s four-team, double-elimination tournament next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Red Hawks have now won 15 straight games – one shy of tying the school record – 18 of their last 19 games and 25 of their last 27 contests. This is the fourth time in school history they have won at least 30 games in a season. Vassar falls to 6-29 overall and 4-16 in the Liberty League.

In the first game, Rensselaer scored two runs in the first inning and eight in the third en route to the victory. The Red Hawks’ first inning runs came by way of two sacrifice flies while the eight-run third came on eight singles by eight different players. Vassar had tied the game, 2-2, before RPI broke it open. The home team added a run in the sixth inning for the final margin.

Freshman centerfielder Sean Wilkes (Troy, NY/Catholic Central) led Rensselaer offensively with three hits, two runs, an RBI and two stolen bases. Senior leftfielder Michael Passante (Highland, NY/Highland) had two hits, a run, an RBI and a stolen base while senior first baseman Joe Ihnatolya (Clifton Park, NY/Shenedehowa) was 2 for 3 with a single and a double, two runs and two runs batted in. Sophomore starter Tim Klein (Westwood, NJ/St. Joseph Regional) allowed just two hits and one earned run with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings to improve to 3-2.

For the visiting Brewers, senior third baseman Ivan Cedillo (El Paso, TX/Bel Air) had a hit and an RBI while junior Adam Gallari (Levittown, NY/Chaminade) suffered the loss.

In the second game, RPI scored five runs in the first inning and four in the second and sophomore lefthander Joe Zongol (Flower Mound, TX/Southington) allowed just five hits and two runs with eight strikeouts in 8.0 innings for the win. Zongol is now 6-1 on the season.

Passante and Wilkes combined to go 5 for 8 with four runs and an RBI at the top of the order while Ihnatolya, the clean-up hitter, was 2 for 5, including a double, with two runs and three RBI. Sophomore catcher Stevan Slusher (Pedricktown, NJ/Penns Grove) chipped in with three hits, a run and two RBI.

Vassar got single hits from five different players, including a run-scoring double from junior second baseman John Mandel (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Chaminade-Madonna). Freshman Tyler Bellstrom (Townshend, VT/Leland and Gray) was solid in relief, allowing just two earned runs in 6.0 innings. Starter Brian Sciubba (Wantah, NY/McArtur) suffered the loss.

Rensselaer and Vassar conclude their series with a doubleheader on Sunday in Poughkeepsie (noon).