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

CLERMONT, Fla. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team wrapped-up its 2012 spring trip to Florida on Friday, dropping a pair of games to move to 6-6 on the season.  The Engineers fell to Bates College in game one by a 7-6 margin and dropped the nightcap, 3-1, to SUNY Plattsburgh.

In game one, Bates scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie. The lead changed hands four times in the game before senior captain Leah Maciejewski hit an RBI single to tie the game 6-6 in the sixth inning. First-year reliever Kelsey Freedman then retired the Engineers in order in the top of the seventh.

Bates sophomore Alayna Garbarino and senior Kelsey Flaherty reached base on consecutive one-out walks in the bottom of the seventh, and then both runners moved up on a sacrifice by senior Courtney Talcott. Classmate Karen Ullmann worked the count to 3-2 before striking a hard-hit ball to shortstop. The throw to first drew RPI's first baseman's foot off the bag before Ullmann reached base safely, allowing Garbarino to score the game-ending run.

Freedman recorded the biggest out of the game in the sixth inning: with runners on second and third, Freedman struck out junior Gillian McCarthy, who had hit a two-run home run off of her in the fifth. 

Offensively, junior Aimee Konet was 2 for 3 with three runs batted in, while McCarthy went 1 for 2 with three runs scored and an RBI.

Game two saw the Cardinals score a run in the first inning off a sacrifice fly to center.  In the second inning, the Engineers weren't able to push across any runs, but stellar pitching from rookie Kristina Weltzin saw Plattsburgh State strike out looking in three straight at-bats.

Rensselaer pulled things even in the bottom of the fourth after Konet grounded out a hit that brought in senior Sara Heller, but the Cardinals answered in the fifth inning.  Plattsburgh State drove in two runs, both unearned, to grab a 3-1 advantage.  Offensively, Heller had the Engineers only hit with a double.

Weltzin shouldered the loss, allowing three runs on three hits over 7.0 innings pitched.  She also struck out six batters while walking five.  Her counterpart, Ashley Marshall had an outstanding effort in the circle, allowing just one run on one hit over 7.0 innings.  Additionally, she struck out 16 batters and walked just one batter.

Rensselaer returns to the diamond on Saturday when it travels to Division III powerhouse, Ithaca for a doubleheader beginning at 1pm.