CLERMONT, Fla. – Senior Stephanie Caudle went a combined 5 for 8 in leading the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team to a 6-5 win over Stockton University and a narrow, 4-3, defeat at the hands of ninth-ranked Messiah College, on Tuesday night at Hancock Sports Complex. With the split, the Engineers move to 7-1 on the season. 

The Engineers struck first against Stockton, when freshman Cam Caswell singled up the middle to score junior Rebecca Kienz in the top of the third.

Freshman Alexandra Cosenzo tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth with her first collegiate home run.

A four-run top of the fifth gave RPI a 5-1 lead. An Ospreys throwing error allowed two runs to score, before Caudle delivered her team-leading third home run of the season.

Stockton pulled to within 5-2 in the bottom of the frame on freshman Nicole Petrovich's first homer.

The Ospreys scored three in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. Junior Daniela Marinaro completed the rally with a double to left field, scoring Petrovich, before getting thrown out trying for a triple.

Junior Christine White came through with an infield single in the top of the seventh that was mishandled at first base, allowing freshman Veronica DeStefano to score the go-ahead run.

Stockton worked the tying run to third base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Caudle was able to induce a lineout to right to earn the save and seal the win.

Freshman righthander Jaime Cleasby (2-0) picked up the victory in the circle, allowing five runs (4 earned) on nine hits in 6.0 innings.

In the nightcap, Messiah broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth inning and held on for a one-run win in the inaugural meeting between the two teams.

With the international tiebreaker rule in place, sophomore Erin Cressman doubled to left for a 3-2 advantage. Junior Amber Bingaman followed with an RBI-single.

Rensselaer got one run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-groundout, but could not scratch across the tying run.

Messiah scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning. The Engineers drew even at 1-1 in the third, thanks to a looping RBI-single to left by Caudle, which scored junior Victoria Greco.

A Bingaman solo home run, off the top of the fence in left center, put the Hawks ahead 2-1 in the top of the sixth.

RPI then rallied for the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. With one out in the frame, Kienz doubled to left, before Greco drove her around with a double of her own to straight away center.

Caudle went the full 8.0 innings, allowing four runs (2 earned) on seven hits. She struck out six and walked three. Sophomore Madelyn Yannetti earned the victory, tossing 1.1 shutout innings. Starter Carrie Fix gave up two runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings.

RPI's win over the Ospreys was its fourth straight in the all-time series. The team's 7-0 unbeaten streak to start the season is the program's best since the 2004 team open at 8-0.

The Engineers return to the diamond tomorrow, when they face the University of Scranton (3:30pm) and Rutgers-Newark (6pm).