TROY, N.Y. – A pair of big four-run innings proved to be the difference as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team defeated Williams College in a non-conference doubleheader on Monday. The Engineers posted an 8-2 win in game one before downing the Ephs by a 10-3 margin in game two. RPI is now 19-7 overall, while Williams moves to 14-13-1.

Game one saw a pair of Williams' errors lead the Engineers to their first big inning, taking a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. An run-scoring single off the bat of junior captain Kelly Erkert (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) got things going. Rookie Jen Shields (North Reading, MA/North Reading) followed with a hit of her own to make it a 2-1 game. Following a walk to load the bases, senior Jen Bach (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy) chopped a ground ball to the Ephs' third baseman. Unable to field the ball cleanly, the Engineers capitalized as two runs came across.

Rensselaer padded its lead with another run in the fifth inning, as senior Genevieve Falco (Seaford, NY/Seaford) walked and came around to score on Erkert's second RBI of the day.

Pitcher Felicia Bua (Gilford, NH/Gilford) helped her team secure the victory with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth, forcing first pitch swings by all three Ephs' batters. She would earn the win with two runs allowed on nine hits over 6.0 innings.

In their own bottom half of the inning, junior Sara Heller (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) extended the advantage with a two-run shot over the left field wall, and junior Sam Paulding (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) doubled to drive in another run and cap RPI's scoring.

Williams tried to make a comeback bid in the seventh, as sophomore Amanda Correnti (Salem, MA/Governor's Academy) led off with a homer to left field to make it 8-2. But freshman Charlene Osmanski (Elmhurst, NY/York) came on to pitch the rest of the inning, causing each of the three batters she faced to ground out for the victory.

Ephs' senior Mary Beth Daub (Claremont, CA/Claremont) shouldered the loss, surrendering eight runs (4 earned) on 11 hits over 5.1 innings pitched.

The Engineers came out swinging in game two as Erkert led off with a double to center. She was quickly driven in by Shields for a 1-0 RPI advantage. A bases-loaded walk brought home the Engineers' second run, and a two-out Ephs' error kept the inning alive and allowed another run to score to make it a 3-0 lead after the first frame.

Heller made it a 4-0 advantage in the bottom of the second inning, but Williams got three runs back in the third, with the help of a couple of RPI errors. Facing a two-out situation, freshman Theresa Legan (New Milford, CT/New Milford) doubled to left center to bring in two runs. She then came around to score on the same play after a throwing error caused the ball to trickle into left field.

The Engineers retaliated with four runs in their own half of the third, including three straight hits and a run-scoring double from McCarthy.  RPI continued to roll with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth as Heller and Falco added a pair of RBI-singles.

Osmanski, who came on to pitch in place of Bach in the top of the fifth, was lights out over the final two innings. She surrendered just four hits with no runs allowed. 

Leading the offensive effort for RPI was Shields, who was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Bach picked up the victory in the circle of game two, allowing just three runs on three hits over 4.0 innings.

For Williams, sophomore Megan Casey (Greenwood Village, CO/Regis Jesuit) took the loss, allowing 10 runs (9 earned) on nine hits over 4.2 innings.

The Engineers are back on the diamond on Tuesday, hosting SUNY Oneonta in a doubleheader at Doris Robison Field (3pm). Williams is also in action tomorrow, hosting Skidmore in a twinbill at 4pm.