Box Score

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) sophomore Kristina Weltzin threw a complete game, three-hit shutout and knocked in the game's only run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning to lead the Engineers to a 1-0 win over St. Lawrence University in a Liberty League Tournament game at the University of Rochester.

RPI, the second seed, improves to 24-14 and advances to the winners' bracket to face the top-seeded Yellowjackets on Saturday at 12:30pm. The Saints, the third seed, face fourth-seeded Union College, which lost to Rochester, 7-2, on Saturday at 10am.

Weltzin (Commerce Town, MI / Walled Lake Northern) and St. Lawrence's Kyle Plimpton (Buffalo, NY / Williamsville South), a pair of righthanded sophomores who were both named to the All-Liberty League First Team on Thursday, were the catalysts for their teams. Weltzin allowed just three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in improving to 17-8. Plimpton, the league's Pitcher of the Year, also allowed just three hits with six strikeouts and no walks in falling to 10-9.

The lone run of the game was manufactured by the Engineers. Rochester area native Dani Grage (Pittsford, NY / Pittsford Mendon) opened the third inning with a double to leftfield. She was sacrificed to third base on a bunt by Taylor Ten Eyck (Guilderland, NY / Guilderland) before Weltzin drove the first pitch she saw deep enough into leftfield for a sacrifice fly. The Engineers did not get another runner into scoring position.

The game was scoreless heading into RPI's half of the third due to Weltzin working out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the inning. Rebecca Allen (Victor, NY / Victor) singled and Caroline Kieltyka (New Britain, CT / Ethel Walker School) drew a one-out walk. Leslie Statton (Bedford, NH / Waterville Valley Academy) grounded to Aimee Konet (Houston, TX / Friendswood) at second base. Konet tried to tag Kieltyka but missed and the throw to first was too late to get Stratton. Weltzin struck out pinch-hitter Audra Caine (Rumford, RI / St. Mary Academy-Bayview) and followed by striking out Chelsea Cavellier (Dexter, NY / General Brown).

Bolstered by a 1-0 lead, Weltzin allowed only three baserunners over the last four innings. Elizabeth McGinley (Canastota, NY / Canastota) singled with one down in the fourth (and Weltzin fanned the next two). Aisha O'Connor (Pembroke, ON / Bishop Smith Catholic) reached on a wild pitch after striking out with two down in the sixth (McGinley fouled out to end the inning). In the seventh, Lauren Weisbarth (Toronto, ON / York Mills Collegiate) walked on a full count with two down. Kieltyka popped out to Konet to end it.