CHESTER, N.Y. - Senior Kristina Weltzin and sophomore Stephanie Caudle each tossed complete games to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team to a doubleheader sweep of SUNY New Paltz, this afternoon at the Rock Sports Park. With wins of 13-5 and 5-1, the Engineers improve to 6-2 overall, while the Hawks drop to 7-5.

RPI took advantage of five walks and two errors in the first inning to score nine runs on just two hits. Freshman Devan Puhl came through with the first hit of the inning to put the Engineers up 3-0. Morgan Kollmeier later singled home two to give the hosts a 7-0 lead. Senior Jena Servidone capped the rally with an RBI-base hit.

A two-run double by Caudle was followed by a two-run two-bagger from Servidone created a 12-4 cushion in the bottom of the third, after New Paltz plated four in the top half of the inning. 

Weltzin was able to retire the Hawks in order in the fifth and RPI added one in the bottom of the frame for the eight-run rule victory. The appearance for Weltzin was the 100th of her career, making her the first pitcher in school history to reach the milestone. She struck out six, while walking three.

Game two saw junior Taylor Ten Eyck drive in four runs, while hitting her first home run of the season seventh of her career. She broke a scoreless tie in the third with two-run shot, before driving in two more with a double in the fourth. Kollmeier also plated a run with a single in the inning, giving RPI a 5-0 lead after four innings.

New Paltz junior Fallon Spriggs got the visitors on the board with a solo home run to right, in the top of the sixth.

Caudle bounced back in the circle to shut the Hawks down the rest of the way. She allowed just the one run on two hits over 7.0 innings, striking out a school-record 18 batters.

Rensselaer is back in action on Saturday, when it hosts Plattsburgh State at Doris Robison Field (1pm). New Paltz is off until April 1, when it visits Sage (3:30pm).