Box Score

AUBURN, N.Y. – Senior Sean Conroy tossed a complete game to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a 5-2 victory over Rowan University in an elimination game of the New York Regional of the NCAA Tournament, this afternoon at Falcon Park. With the win, the Engineers improve to 29-14 and stay alive in the double-elimination competition, while the Profs conclude their season with a 32-14 record.

Conroy (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) allowed just two runs (1 earned) on six hits over 9.0 innings. He struck out seven, while walking two. The complete game was RPI's sixth straight as a team, dating back to May 4.

The Engineers scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. Sophomore Shane Matthews (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Catholic) drove in the game's first run with a double that plated classmate Tyler Listing (West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park) from second. A wild pitch on the fourth ball of a walk to junior Al Mersman (Newark, DE/Salesianum) skipped past Profs senior catcher C.J. Symczak (Maple Shade, NJ), scoring sophomore Tim LeSuer (Oak View, CA/Nordhoff) from third.

Following three scoreless innings, Rowan drew even at 2-2 in the top of the fifth. Junior Mark Benak (South Plainfield, NJ) singled to right for the Profs first run of the day, before a passed ball allowed Benak to score from third, later in the frame.

Conroy and Rowan senior starter Jeff White (Medford, NJ) then put up zeros until the bottom of the eighth, when Rensselaer stuck again.

Defensive replacement Chris Holomakoff (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon) led off the inning by rolling a hit up the middle that skipped under the glove of Rowan sophomore shortstop Ryan Williams (Southampton, NJ). Listing then showed bunt before ripping a single past a drawn in third baseman, to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Junior Andrew Kalish (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) attempted to put down a sac bunt, but ended up reaching first on a hit to load the bases.

LeSuer came through with the biggest hit of the afternoon – a two-run double down the right field line – to make it 4-2. Mersman added a sacrifice fly to give the Engineers a 5-2 lead.

Conroy set the Profs down in order in the ninth to earn his ninth win of the season. RPI will face the loser of the Ithaca/Farmingdale State game on Friday morning at 10am.