TROY, N.Y. – Senior captain Thomas Desmond went 3 for 5 with a home run and three runs batted in to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a 12-4 victory over SUNY Oneonta, on Tuesday afternoon at Robison Field. With the win, the Engineers improve to 12-13 overall, while the Red Dragons drop to 9-11.

Desmond (Alamo, CA/De LaSalle) led a balanced RPI attack that saw all nine starters record at least one hit. Leadoff man Weston Hawkins (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood) went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI, while classmate Ethann Meister (Santa Teresa, NM/Santa Teresa) was 3 for 5 with a home run and two RBI.

A sacrifice fly from senior first baseman Sam Lawrence (Chicago, IL/University of Chicago High School) got the hosts on the board in the bottom of the first.

The Red Dragons came back to take a brief 2-1 lead in the top of the second, thanks to run-scoring singles from senior Michael Grudzinski (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa) and junior Brandon Torres (Highland Mills, NY/Monroe-Woodbury).

Meister's second homer of the year tied the game at 2-2 in the second, before RPI put up four in the third for a 6-2 lead. Senior second baseman Yahriel Jimenez (San Juan, PR/Cupeyville) highlighted the rally with a two-run single to left center.

Rensselaer tacked on single runs in the fifth and sixth for an 8-2 advantage. Oneonta junior Dalton Beatty (Atwater, NY/Atwater) cut the deficit to 8-4 in the seventh after two got on with nobody out and a sac bunt put two in scoring position. Beatty slashed a single up the middle to drive in the pair.

A four-run bottom of the seventh put the game away, as senior Jeff Sitarski (The Woodlands, TX/The Woodlands) stroked a single down the line in left in front of Desmond's three-run home run, over the fence in right.

Junior Nick Pacifico (Newburgh, NY/Wallkill) picked up his first win for the Engineers, working 2.0 shutout innings. He struck out three and walked one. Start Erick Zecha (Keene, NH/Keene) was effective over 4.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.

Oneonta freshman Joseph Canonaco (Briarcliff Manor, NY/Briarcliff) suffered the defeat, surrendering six runs on six hits in 2.2 innings.

The Engineers return to the diamond on Saturday, when they visit Western New England University (1pm). Oneonta hosts Mount Saint Mary on Thursday (4pm).