Box Score Box Score

WINTERHAVEN, Fla. - Rensselaer scored four runs in the fifth inning to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead and the Engineers went on to a 13-4 victory over Ripon in RPI's first game on it's Spring Break trip.  Rensselaer improves to 2-1, while the Red Hawks, a 2010 NCAA participant, is 0-1.

For the Engineers, junior Dan Duval (Middleton, MA / Masconomet) started and went 5 2/3 innings on his way to picking up the win.  He allowed just three earned runs on six hits while striking out six.  Three other pitchers also enjoyed success on the mound as Ripon had just 11 hits on the day.

Offensively, RPI was led by junior catcher Kyle Kopacz (Chatham, NJ / Chatham), who went 3 for 5, including two doubles, with three runs scored. Also contributing were senior centerfielder Billy Nikolski (Burnt Hills, NY / Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), who went 3 for 4 with a run, a double and three runs batted in.  Freshman second baseman Andrew Kalish (Clifton Park, NY / Shenendehowa) continued his fast start by going 2 for 4 with double and five runs batted in.

Rensselaer plays Keystone on Sunday at 1pm in Auburndale.