Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box
TROY, N.Y. – The No. 10 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team scored in five different innings on its way to a 10-5 win over the University of Rochester to give head coach Karl Steffen his 600th career win. The victory came in the first game of a Liberty League doubleheader at Robison Field. The visiting Yellowjackets, behind a complete game by senior Peter McEneaney, won the nightcap, 2-0.
First place Rensselaer is now 27-5 overall and 15-3 in the Liberty League while second place Rochester is 25-9 and 16-4. The same two teams play a doubleheader on Sunday at Robison Field beginning at noon. Both games will be broadcast live on WRPI, 91.5 FM, and on the Internet at www.wrpi.org.
Rensselaer gave Steffen, who is in his 24th season, his milestone win by scoring three runs in the first and third innings, single runs in the second and fourth and two runs in the sixth inning. His career record now stands at 600-286-3 (.677).
Junior centerfielder Sean Wilkes (Troy, NY/Catholic Central) led the way in game one by going 4 for 5 with a triple and two runs scored. Senior first baseman Ken Carroll (Shelton, CT/Fairfield Prep.) was 3 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and two runs batted in and classmate Joe Zongol (Flower Mound, TX/Southington) pitched a complete game.
Rochester opened the scoring with three runs in the first inning, all on a three-run home run by junior first baseman Dan Brien (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). RPI came right back to tie the score by putting together four hits and taking advantage of an error. The Red Hawks held an 8-3 lead heading into the sixth inning before Rochester plated two more runs on a two-out, bases loaded single by Jay Jay Vanderstyne (Victor, NY/Victor). Rensselaer got those two runs back in their half of the inning thanks in part to a two-run home run to left field by senior shortstop Matt Muscatiello (Kinderhook, NY/Ichabod Crane).
Zongol improved to 7-1 by allowing five runs (3 earned) on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Rochester starter Steve Guzski (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) suffered the loss, giving up eight runs (7 earned) on 12 hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
In the second game, McEneaney (New York, NY/Collegiate), a righthander, allowed just seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts. He is now 6-0 on the season. RPI senior Tim Klein (Westwood, NJ/St. Joseph Regional), who allowed two runs (1 earned) on five hits, suffered the loss.
Rochester scored the only run it would need in the third inning when Nathan Stein (Greece, NY/Greece Odyssey) walked, was sacrificed to second base and scored on a single to left field by senior Ed Kahovec (Victor, NY/Victor). The Yellowjackets added an unearned run in the sixth inning for the final margin.
