TROY, N.Y. - Senior Nick Palmiero hit a walk-off single and junior Greg Echeverria threw his fifth complete game of the season to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), this afternoon at Robison Field. With wins of 3-2 and 4-1, the Engineers improve to 21-13 overall (17-5 Liberty League), while the Tigers drop to 20-11 (13-6 Liberty League).

In game one, RPI scored a first inning run, without a hit, as senior Tyler Listing (West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park) was hit by a pitch and moved all the way to third on a passed ball and a groundout. Classmate Tim LeSuer (Oak View, CA/Nordoff) then brought Listing home with a ground out to first.

The Tigers took advantage of a hit and two RPI errors to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth. An RBI-single by junior Brett Kajgnich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Names) plated sophomore Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) with two away in the inning.

Rensselaer answered in the sixth, when senior Jared Jensen (Kingston, NY/Kingston), who started on the hill, hit a long home run to right, tying the game at 2-2. The homer was his team-leading sixth of the season. 

Following a scoreless seventh, RPI senior Shane Matthews (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Catholic) doubled off the wall in right to lead off the bottom of the eighth. A passed ball and a strikeout followed, putting Matthews on third with one away. Jensen and LeSuer were intentionally walked to load the bases for Palmiero (Patterson, NY/Carmel), who smacked a game-winning single through the left side of a five-man RIT infield.

Jensen went all 8.0 innings for the win, allowing two unearned runs in five hits. He struck out six without a walk. Tigers righthander Rory Little (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) took the tough luck loss, surrendering three runs (2 earned) on four hits in 7.1 innings. He had seven strikeouts and three walks.

Game two saw the hosts strike for a pair of runs in the third, on RBI-singles from Jensen and LeSuer.

In the fifth, the Engineers executed a squeeze play, as LeSuer dropped a bunt up the third base line that brought home Listing from third. Later in the frame, Jensen came home on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

The Tigers got on the board in the top of the sixth, on a wild pitch by Echeverria (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow), to draw within 4-1.

Echeverria was able to stamp out another RIT threat in the seventh to secure the complete game win. He gave up a run on six hits in 7.0 innings, striking out seven, while walking two. Junior Brandon Cohall (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in 6.0 innings.

Both teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon (12pm) for the final two regular season games of the year. The games can be heard live on 91.5 FM, WRPI or online at www.wrpi.org/listen. In addition, RPI TV will be webcasting the twin bill at www.rpitv.org.