Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Senior catcher Patrick Readon (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) set the tone out of the lead-off spot, going 6 for 9, as the Rensselaer baseball team swept a doubleheader against Vassar, in Liberty League action. With wins of 8-4 and 5-1, the Engineers improve to 19-11 overall (9-7 Liberty), while the Brewers fall to 7-23 (3-17 Liberty).

Reardon scored three runs and drove in another to pace an RPI offense that pounded out 15 hits in game one. Freshman shortstop Jonny Rio (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) went 3 for 5 with a run and two runs batted in, while senior Camden Mamigonian (Dover, NH/Dover) finished game one 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI.

The Engineers plated two runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed the rest of the way, riding a strong pitching performance by junior Mike Cieszko (Stevenson Ranch, CA/William S. Hart). He threw his second straight 7.0 inning complete game, surrendering four runs (3 earned) on 12 hits with four strikeouts.

With RPI leading 2-1, the two clubs traded single run innings in both the fourth and fifth innings, before the visitors broke the game open in the top of the sixth, scoring three times. An RBI-double from Mamigonian highlighted the rally.

Rensselaer made it 8-3 in the top of the seventh on a Mamigonian sacrifice fly, but the Brewers came back with a single run in the bottom of the frame to bring the game to its final score.

Behind an impressive complete game three-hitter from Engineers' starter Ryan Washburn (Gansevoort, NY/Shuylerville), RPI won game two. Washburn, who had a one-hit shutout through the first six innings, improved to 4-2, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six with two walks.

Vassar sophomore starter Dennis Tario pitched well despite taking the loss to fall to 1-5. In six innings, Tario scattered nine hits – just six through the first five innings – while all five of RPI's runs were unearned. Tario struck out three with no walks. Bottini pitched a shutout inning of relief, allowing just one hit.

In the second inning the Engineers took advantage of a two-out Vassar error that allowed Billy Nikolski (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) to reach and consecutive singles from Tom Jebb (Ticonderoga, NY/Ticonderoga), Reardon, and Markus Dellelo (Sidney, NY/Sidney) led to an early 2-0 RPI lead.

Tario shut out the Engineers on just one hit through the next three innings, but just like in the first game, RPI scored three runs in the sixth to take a more commanding lead. Mamigonian blasted a leadoff double, Scott Robinson (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) followed him on base on a catcher's interference call, and an ensuing fielding error allowed Rio to reach and load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly from Nikolski and RBI singles from Jebb and Reardon gave the Engineers a 5-0 lead.

The Brewers broke up Washburn's shutout in the seventh inning as senior outfielder Ari Glantz led off with a single up the middle, stealing second and third before scoring on one-out groundout. Vassar's only other hits off Washburn came on a double from Luongo and a single from freshman outfielder Sean Morash.

RPI got two-hit games from its first three batters, Reardon, Dellello, and Andrew Krushelnyski (Boomfield Hills, MI/Brother Rice), while Jebb led the way with a 3-for-3 one run, one RBI effort from the bottom of the lineup.