WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Freshman Aaron Kalish threw a complete game and sophomore Sam Lawrence notched a combined four hits as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team split a non-league doubleheader with Thomas College, this afternoon. The Engineers, who won game one, 8-1, before falling 11-3, move to 5-5 on the season, while the Terriers are now 1-3.

Kalish went all 7.0 innings of game one, surrendering just one run on seven hits and a walk. He struck out five. Kyle Fletcher took the loss for Thomas, giving up four runs on six hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out two and walked three.

Thomas scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning, when a single by Beau Ewton brought home Anree Benitez.

After three scoreless frames, the Engineers broke onto the scoreboard with a four-run fifth. Senior Nick Palmiero got the inning going with an RBI-double. Sophomore Jason Ramos followed up with a run-scoring single, before classmate Thomas Desmond delivered a third run with a base hit. Desmond eventually came around to score on a wild pitch, giving RPI a 4-1 lead after five.

Rensselaer tacked on four more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run single by Desmond. Senior Tim LeSuer also had an RBI in the rally. 

Desmond went 2 for 4 with a run and three RBI. Sam Lawrence had a team-high three hits, going 3 for 4, while Palmiero was 2 for 4 with two runs and an RBI.

In game two, both teams combined to leave 26 men on base, including 14 by the Engineers. 

Following a two-run top of the first by Thomas, the Engineers proceeded to strand multiple runners in each of the next four frames, including leaving the bases loaded in the third. 

The Terriers put up four runs in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. Benitez came through with a two-run double, before Ewton lifted a sac fly to center.

A Sam Lawrence single in the bottom of the fifth brought the Engineers within 6-1, but Thomas came right back with one in the sixth and four in the seventh to push its advantage to 11-1.

The Engineers managed to score two in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to pinch-hit singles by freshman J.T. Sawyer and junior Gabriel Kurtzman-Gonzalez. The duo both picked up their first collegiate hits and RBI in the inning.

RPI is back in action on Friday and Saturday, when it faces Liberty League-foe Union College for a pair of doubleheaders. First pitch on both days is scheduled for 12pm. Thomas takes on Keuka College on Thursday (3pm).