Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CLERMONT, Fla. – Junior Kristina Weltzin threw a complete-game shutout to beat Salve Regina, 6-0, but the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team was unable to hold onto a late lead in falling to Richard Stockton College, 5-4, for a split on the day. The Engineers move to 4-2 on the spring – matching their best start since 2009.

Weltzin (Commerce Town, MI/Walled Lake Northern) allowed six hits (all singles) in 7.0 innings for her second complete game of the season. She struck out five, while walking three, to improve to 2-1 on the year.

The Engineers nabbed a pair of first inning runs thanks to a run-scoring groundout from junior Jocilyn Rudisill (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) and an RBI-single off the bat of sophomore Taylor Ten Eyck (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland).

A two-run double by Morgan Ten Eyck (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), over the head of the Salve Regina left fielder, made it 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Rensselaer then took advantage of two Seahawks errors to add an insurance run in the sixth.

RPI struck first in game two, when sophomore Danielle Balestrini (Lake Placid, NY/Lake Placid) and freshman Morgan Kollmeier (Kennett, PA/Kennett) led off the contest with back-to-back doubles.

After four scoreless innings, Stockton broke onto the scoreboard in the fifth, on a looping single by senior Nicole Scanlon (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), plating sophomore Taylor Hopf (Woodbridge, NJ/Woodbridge) from second.

Rensselaer answered with a two-run top of the sixth, as junior Jena Servidone (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) came through with a two-out, two-run double to center, plating senior captain Tori Hunt (Cheshire, MA/Hoosac Valley) and Taylor Ten Eyck.

The Ospreys took advantage of an RPI error to draw within 3-2 in the bottom of the frame, but the Engineers answered in the top of the seventh, on an RBI-double by Kollmeier.

Richard Stockton then fought its way back from a 4-2 deficit after two were away in the bottom of the seventh. A pair of walks started the rally, followed by a two-run double by freshman Holly Arentowicz (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury), which tied the game at 4-4. Senior Danielle Kohen (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) singled to right, scoring Arentowicz, for the walk-off win.

Sophomore Victoria Helpworth (Cheshire, MA/Holyoke) took the no-decision for RPI, allowing two unearned runs on two hits in 5.0 innings. She walked four and struck out four. Junior Britt Ksiezopolski (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) went 7.0 innings for Stockton, allowing four runs on eight hits.

The Engineers are back in action on Wednesday, when they face Alvernia University (9am) and Monmouth College (11am).