Game 1 Box Score / Game 2 Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – The 13th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team recorded 24 hits on its way to downing Vassar 7-2 and 18-11, this afternoon at Robison Field. With the two wins, the Red Hawks complete a regular season sweep of the Brewers and are now 16-1 overall (8-0 Liberty League). Vassar is now 4-6 on the season (0-4 Liberty).

A five-run third inning – four of which were unearned – propelled RPI to the victory in the first game. RPI senior Stevan Slusher (Pedricktown, NJ/Penns Grove) started the frame with a single, moved to third base on an error and scored on a ground out by Sean Wilkes (Troy, NY/Catholic Central). The next two batters walked before Patrick Reardon’s (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) bases loaded single scored the Red Hawks second run. A Camden Mamigonian (Dover, NH/Dover) sacrifice fly scored another before senior Ken Carroll (Shelton, CT/Fairfield Prep) knocked in two more with a double.

Vassar, which scored once in the first inning for a 1-0 lead, pulled to within 5-2 in the sixth inning but Rensselaer answered with two more runs in their half of the inning.

Red Hawks sophomore Andrew Mondo (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) allowed just one earned run on seven hits, three walks and three strikeouts in 4.0 innings to improve to 3-0. Junior Andy Opperman (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) picked up the save by pitching the final 3.0 innings. Carroll, who was 2 for 3 with a run and two RBI, and Slusher, who was 2 for 3 with two runs and a run batted in, combined for four of RPI’s five hits.

Vassar starter Brian Sciubba (Wantagh, NY/General Douglas MacArthur) allowed five hits and seven runs, one earned, with two walks and a strikeout in 5.1 innings. He suffered the loss. Four different batters collected two hits apiece, including catcher Mike Plude (Shelton, CT/Notre Dame Catholic). He was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Game two saw the Red Hawks score seven runs in the first two innings to take an early 7-2 lead. The Brewers quickly tied the game with five runs in the top of the third, before Rensselaer put up eight in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead at 15-7. Senior rightfielder Dan Valentine (Goshen, CT/Avon Old Farms) capped off the Red Hawks rally with a two-run double.

The Brewers scored two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to pull within 15-11, but the Red Hawks answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth.

Valentine paced Rensselaer offensively in game two, going 2 for 4 with two doubles, two runs scored and four runs batted in. Mamigonian finished 2 for 5 with a home run, two runs and three RBI. Junior right-hander Andrew Novick (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) pitched 2.1 innings in relief to pick up his first victory of the season. He allowed four runs on six hits, while striking out two.

Vassar freshman David Ringold (Seattle, WA/Ballard) went 3 for 4 with three runs batted in. Plude continued his solid day at the plate in game two, going 3 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI.

RPI returns to action on Tuesday when Old Westbury visits Robison Field for a single, nine-inning game (4pm). Vassar is back on the field next Wednesday against Mount Saint Mary (4pm).