SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Matt Anziano went 3 for 4 during a 7-3 victory in the second game, helping Western New England salvage a split of its non-conference baseball doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Saturday at Pat Ricci Field at Trelease Park. The visiting Engineers held on to a 5-4 win in the opener to improve to 17-13 overall.

Anziano added two runs batted in and scored as well to help back a solid pitching performance by junior Tom Mahoney, who improved to a staff-best 5-1. Mahoney scattered seven hits over 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (2 earned) and a walk. He also had five strikeouts. Classmate Matt Fedor got the final two outs to secure the win, as WNE improves to 16-16 on the year.

Rensselaer senior Nick Palmiero went 3 for 4, including a pair of doubles, and Jason Ramos was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.

The Golden Bears got all the offense they would need with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. Sophomore Daniel Morin cut the lead in half with a RBI-single through the left side and junior Matt Calzone tied it 2-2 when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Anziano capped the rally with a two-run single.

In the first game of the afternoon, senior Steve Buckley, sophomore Kyle Maglio and Morin had two hits apiece for the Golden Bears.

Palmiero led RPI offensively by going 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored, and Jared Jensen went 2 for 4 with a RBI and two runs. Jensen gave the Engineers a 1-0 lead with a triple to right field and he later scored on Palmiero's RBI-ground out to third base to make it 2-0 after one-half inning.

Maglio brought the hosts to within 2-1 with a run-scoring groundout in the second, but a single by Palmiero and a Golden Bear's error scored two runs to give RPI a 4-1 lead in the third. Later in the frame, Sophomore Thomas Desmond brought Palmiero around to score with an opposite field single to left. 

Western New England scored single runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings, but the Engineers were able to hold on, thanks to 2.0 shutout innings of relief by sophomore Adam Aponte.

The Engineers are back in action on Monday, when they host the College of St. Joseph (Vt.) at Robison Field (4;30pm).