Box Score NCBWA/D3 Baseball.com Top 25 / Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Sophomore Dan Duval allowed just five hits while striking out five in seven innings and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team turned four double plays in a 6-2 win over Thomas More. The Engineers, who are ranked ninth in the nation according to the latest NCBWA/D3Baseball.com Division III Poll, improve to 4-0. The Saints fall to 0-2.

Duval (Middletown, MA / Masconomet), a righthander, allowed just one earned run in his first start of the season. Freshman Steve Manning (Newport Beach, CA / Corona Del Mar) pitched the final two innings, both scoreless, with one strikeout. Both pitchers were helped by the middle infield combination of senior second baseman Tom Jebb (Ticonderoga, NY / Ticonderoga) and freshman shortstop Jonny Rio (Maplewood, NJ / Columbia), who turned four double plays.

Rio also stood out at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double, two runs batted in and a pair of runs. Senior first baseman Andrew Krushelnyski (Bloomfield Hills, MI / Brother Rice) also went 3 for 4 with two RBI. Sophomore centerfielder Billy Nikolski (Burnt Hills, NY / Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) added two hits, including a double, and a run.

The victory was the 650th of the career of head coach Karl Steffen.  He is now 650-306-3 in his 25+seasons.

RPI is back in action on its spring break trip on Wednesday against Keystone, the 17th-ranked team in the nation. First pitch is scheduled for 3pm.

Thomas More: 0-0-2 -- 0-0-0 -- 0-0-0 - 2 6 1
Rensselaer: 3-1-0 -- 2-0-0 -- 0-0-x - 6 10 1

RPI: Dan Duval (Win), Steve Manning (8th) and Noah Poissant. TM: Kyle Wewe (Loss), Michael Murray (6th), Adam Leach (8th) and Nick Zeiser.