Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box

TROY, N.Y. – Junior Julianne Bass (Costa Mesa, CA/Newport Harbor) went 5 for 8 with three runs batted in to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Hamilton College. The Red Hawks took game one, 8-7, and went on to capture game two by a score of 7-3. RPI improves to 9-3 overall while the Continentals drop to 5-7 on the season.

Game one saw RPI jump out to a 3-1 lead behind an RBI double from Bass. Hamilton quickly rebounded in the top of the second inning, putting up four runs to lead 5-3 and knock starter Michelle Street (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) out of the game.

The visiting Continentals led 7-4 after three innings before the Red Hawks battled back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull things even at 7-all. Bass belted her two-run homerun and freshman Jen Bach (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy) had an RBI single to lead the effort.

Rensselaer sealed the victory in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by senior Beth Gargon (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton). Freshman Felicia Bua (Gilford, NH/Gilford) improved to 2-0 in the circle after allowing just two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of relief.

Sophomore Rachel Rapoza (Barrington, RI/Pomfret School) paced Hamilton, going 2 for 3 with three runs batted in and a run scored.  Junior Amber O'Connor (Pembroke, ON/Lawrenceville School) added two RBI as she went 1 for 3 at the plate.  Suffering the loss for the Continentals was junior Megan Coughlin (Clifton Park, NY/Catholic Central), who allowed six runs on ten hits through 6.0 innings pitched.

In game two, Hamilton took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third, but the homestanding Red Hawks answered. Behind a three-run double off the bat of freshman Genevieve Falco (Seaford, NY/Seaford), RPI went up 4-1 after three complete.

The Continentals continued to press, putting up a run in the top of the fourth and fifth innings to make it 4-3, but RPI kept swinging adding three runs over the final two innings to secure the victory. Falco finished 2 for 3 with four runs batted in while sophomore Becky Bailey (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

In the circle, sophomore hurler Michelle Bianchetti (Highland Mills, NY/John S. Burke Catholic) improved to 3-1 overall, allowing three runs on six hits through 5.0 innings. Bua once again came on in relief for the Red Hawks, giving up no hits through the final two innings.

Hamilton saw O'Connor go 2 for 4 in the game with two runs batted in.  Coughlin shouldered the loss in game two for the Continentals, allowing four runs on seven hits before giving way to sophomore Erin Hoener (Toronto, ON/Havergal College), who gave up three runs on three hits through the final three innings.

RPI returns to action tomorrow afternoon when it heads to Mount Saint Mary’s for a doubleheader at 3pm. Hamilton opens its home schedule on Friday against Amherst (4:30 pm).