CLERMONT, Fla. - Senior Victoria Hepworth pitched 6.1 innings of shutout softball to lead Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a 1-0 win over Plymouth State University. The Engineers, who improved to 7-1 also defeated Western New England University, 7-5, in their second game of the day.

Hepworth (1-0) allowed just six hits and a walk, while striking out four. Junior Stephanie Caudle came on for the final two outs to earn her first save of the season. She had one strikeout.

RPI got the only run it needed in the top of the first inning, when Caudle singled home classmate Morgan Kollmeier from second.

The Panthers threatened in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners on, but were unable to capitalize. Caudle was able to get a strikeout with runners on second and third with one out, before getting the final out on an infield pop-up.

Caudle finished 2 for 2 with a walk, while Kollmeier was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run.

In RPI's second game of the day, the Engineers and Western New England traded early runs, before a three-run bottom of the third put Rensselaer up 4-3. Christine White capped the rally with an RBI-single.

Junior Courtney McArthur then drove home a pair in the fourth for a 6-3 lead. 

Following a scoreless fifth, senior captain Taylor Ten Eyck came through with a base hit that scored Morgan Kollmeier and gave RPI a 7-3 edge.

The Golden Bears came back with two in the top of the seventh, but junior Stephanie Caudle came on to earn the save, getting the final two outs on a pop-up on a groundout.

The Engineers are back in action on Thursday, when they take on SUNY Geneseo (11am) and Smith (1pm).