TROY, N.Y. - Junior Taylor Ten Eyck went a combined 4 for 8 to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Castleton State College, this afternoon at Doris Robison Field. With opening day wins of 5-3 and 10-1 (5 innings), the Engineers improve to 8-2 on the season, while the Spartans drop to 6-5.

Ten Eyck (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) answered a first-inning Castleton run in game one, with an opposite field hit that scored sophomore Morgan Kollmeier (Kennett Square, PQ/Kennett) from second. Classmate Stephanie Caudle (Gainsville, FL/Gainsville) followed up with a two-run double to the gap in left, before freshman Victoria Greco (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) singled home Morgan Ten Eyck (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) to make it 4-1.

RPI tacked on a fifth run in the bottom of the second, when junior Danielle Balestrini (Lake Placid, NY/Lake Placid) scored on a Castleton error.

A two-run homer by Spartans junior Chelsea Grady (Western Springs, IL/Lyons Township) - her first of the season - brought the visitors to within 5-3 in the third, but Rensselaer senior righthander Kristina Weltzin (Commerce Town, MI/Walled Lake Northern) was able to shut the door, going the distance to improve to 4-1 on the year. She allowed three runs on six hits in 7.0 innings, striking out six.

In game two, the Engineers put up eight runs in the bottom of the first on six hits and one Spartans error. Balestrini and Kollmeier walked to open in the inning, before Taylor Ten Eyck and senior Jena Servidone (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) notched back-to-back RBI-singles. After Caudle drove in a run with a single to center, freshman Devan Puhl (Frederick, MD/Linganore) doubled, scoring Morgan Ten Eyck. Kollmeier later capped the rally with a bases-clearing double to right.

Caudle was nearly untouched from the circle, striking out seven of the first nine batters she faced. Castleton senior Kayla Daigle (Biddeford, ME/Catherine McAuley) broke up the no-hit bid in the top of the fourth, when she singled up the middle.

The Spartans got in the board in the fifth, on junior Katie Traver's (Clifton Park, NY/Hudson Valley CC) first home run of the season. RPI ended the game in the bottom of the frame, platting a pair of runs for the 10-1 victory. Taylor Ten Eyck's bases-loaded single brought home Balestrini and senior Kathleen Baker (Airmont, NY/Suffern) for the eight-run mercy rule.

Taylor Ten Eyck went 3 for 4 with three runs batted in, while Kollmeier finished 1 for 2, with two walks, a run and three RBI. Caudle surrendered just one run on three hits in 5.0 innings. She struck out nine without a walk.