Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Sophomore righthander Reid Roberge picked up the win (1-1) in relief as the Rensselaer baseball team earned a come-from-behind, 15-7, victory over Colby-Sawyer, this afternoon. With the win, the Engineers improve to 4-2 overall, while the Chargers drop to 4-2.

The Chargers scored two runs in in top of the first, and added two more in the top of the second for a 6-0 lead.  Cameron Knight hit a three-run home run in the 2nd, chasing RPI starter Greg Echeverria. 

Colby Sawyer starting pitcher Dave Maestri kept the RPI bats stayed silent until the 4th, when RPI sent nine men to the plate and scored five runs. Andrew Kalish led off the inning by getting hit with a pitch. Walks to Jonny Rio and Chuck Erickson loaded the bases for RPI. Shane Matthews greeted the Charger reliever Brett Emmertz with a double to deep left center, scoring Rio and Kalish. Tyler Listing followed with a two-RBI double of his own, and would come around to score on a groundout by Jared Jensen.

After a scoreless Colby-Sawyer frame, RPI went ahead 7-6 with two runs in the home half of the 5th. Kalish again got things started with a hit by pitch, followed by a Rio single to left. Mike Bowse came on to face Erickson, who singled to right to score Kalish. Rio advanced to third on the hit, and would score on a Sac fly off the bat of Matthews for a 7-6 lead.

Both teams traded zeros in the 6th, and the Chargers would tie it up via a double steal in the top of the 7th.  RPI would take the lead for good in the bottom half, scoring three runs with two outs. A Tyler Listing single put runners on the corners, and Al Mersman singled home Erickson, who had walked. Mersman stole second, and Jared Jensen drove both home with a single to right for a 10-7 lead.

Ash Rao threw a scoreless 8th in relief of Roberge, RPI again sent 9 hitters to the plate in a 5 run bottom of the eighth. Listing lashed a 2 run triple into right center for the big blow of the inning. Rao, who entered in a 10-7 game, would close it out with a scoreless 9th for his first save of the season.

Listing went 3 for 5, falling home run short of the cycle while scoring three and driving in four.  Matthews drove in three, Jensen had a pair of hits and three RBI, and Jonny Rio registered two hits and three runs scored. Andrew Kalish and Chuck Erickson both scored three runs as well.

RPI returns to action tomorrow morning, taking on Curry College as it continues play in the Russmatt Central Florida Tournament.  First pitch from Chain of Lakes park is scheduled for 9:30pm.