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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Freshman Jimmy Foley singled with two outs in the bottom of the final inning to give the Rensselaer baseball team a 5-4 walk-off win at Liberty League foe RIT in the first game of a doubleheader at RIT Field. The Engineers then posted a 14-5 victory in game two, giving head coach Karl Steffen 700 career wins.

Steffen, who took over Rensselaer's program in 1985, boasts a career record of 700-345-3. Interestingly, his first career win as the head coach came against RIT. For this season RPI improves to 6-8 overall and 3-1 in the Liberty League. RIT falls to 5-8 and 1-3.

In the opener, the Tigers, the visiting team, rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game, but Foley's (Yonkers, NY / Iona Prep) single to left centerfield brought home pinch runner Dan Duval (Middleton, MA / Masconomet) with the winning run.

RIT tied the contest in the top of the seventh inning, but left the bases loaded. Greg Schworm (Rochester, NY / Churchville Chili) and Jon Meyer (Pittsford, NY / Pittsford Sutherland) both walked and advanced on an infield single. All three runners advanced on a balk, making the score 4-3. After another walk, Jaren Bell (Rochester, NY/Brighton) singled to left field, tying the game. RIT nearly went ahead on a hard line drive to right field, but RPI's Art Levenson (San Diego, CA / University City) was in the perfect position and made the catch to end the inning.

In RPI's half of the seventh, the first two batters grounded out, before Eric Kozak (New York, NY / Dalton School) and Levenson were both hit by pitches. Foley hit a walk-off bloop single to left field, scoring Duval to end the game.

RPI led 3-0 before RIT rallied with two runs in the top of the fifth. The Tigers left 11 men on base, while the Engineers stranded nine runners.

Chuck Erickson (Mansfield, MA / Mansfield) led RPI with a pair of hits. Jason Griffith (Lititz, PA / Warwick), RPI's third pitcher, earned the win.

RIT saw Walt Roman (Spencerport, NY / Spencerport) go 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI, while Brian Brazee (Auburn, NY / Auburn) had two hits with an RBI. On the mound, Dan Schuster (Livonia, NY / Livonia) took the loss in relief.

In game two, RIT led 5-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before the Engineers scored four times in the bottom half to take a 7-5 lead. RPI broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the big blow coming on a grand slam by Kyle Kopacz (Chatham, NJ / Chatham).

Brian Malin (Coral Springs, FL / Coral Glades) earned the win for RPI, pitching 4.2 innings of scoreless relief. Erickson was 2 for 5 and drove in the eventual game-winning runs on a three-run opposite field home run in the fifth inning. Four Engineers had at least two hits.

Roman was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in. He drove in a run with a double in the third inning then crushed a mammoth two-run home run to left field in the fifth inning, giving RIT its only lead of the game.

Rensselaer, which hosts a pair of doubleheaders with Clarkson next weekend, leads the all-time series between the two schools, 47-17. The two teams split a doubleheader on Friday with Rensselaer winning game one, 6-0, and RIT taking game two, 5-4.