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TROY, N.Y. - Vassar College allowed just 15 hits in 16 innings of a doubleheader and the Brewers captured both games of a Liberty League twin bill, 8-6 and 5-2, at Robison Field. Vassar climbs over the .500 mark both overall (13-12) and in the league (6-5), while the Engineers drop to 13-16 and 6-6.

In the opener, the Brewers got five innings from senior starter Adam Erkis, who allowed eight hits and five runs with four strikeouts and two walks. John Madsen pitched two-thirds of an inning and sophomore Bryan Rubin earned the save with 1.1 innings of work. 

Erkis, who is now 2-2, had one difficult inning, allowing four runs in the fourth inning, but did not give up a run otherwise. 

Vassar answered Rensselaer's four-run fourth inning with a 7-run fifth to retake the lead, 8-4. After junior shortstop Matt Hernandez started the inning with a single, the next three batters walked to force in a run. Daniel Bonfiglio then singled to center to tie the score at 4-4 and the next two batters were hit by pitches, including a run-scoring HBP by Jake Doyle that put the visitors ahead, 5-4. A ground out by Matt Schwartz plated Bonfiglio and Hernandez singled home two more runs.

RPI took its 4-1 lead a half inning earlier thanks to a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly from junior JT Sawyer and a two-run single by Wes Hawkins. The Engineers added a run in the sixth inning and another in the seventh, but Rubin got the final out with the tying runs on base for his first save of the season.

Hernandez led the visitor's offense, going 3 for 4 with a run and two RBI. Bonfiglio, the designated hitter, was 2 for 4 with a run and two knocked in and Doyle was 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI.

Hawkins (2 for 4, 2 RBI), Sawyer (2 for 3, 2 RBI) and Thomas Desmond (2 for 4, 1 RBI) each had a pair of hits for Rensselaer, which used two pitchers. The duo combined for eight earned runs on only nine hits with three strikeouts, five walks and three hit batsmen. Sophomore Brendan McNerney suffered the loss to drop to 2-3.

In the second game, Jake Silver, a freshman, went 6.2 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with three strikeouts to even his record at 1-1. Madsen pitched one-third of an inning and Max Spencer finished the game, allowing no hits or runs with four strikeouts in two innings.

The game was tied at 1-1 when the Brewers scored three times in the third for a 4-1 lead. Matt Martino had a run-scoring single, Rubin had a sacrifice fly to center field and Taylor Smach scored Martino with a single. 

The Engineers' bats were quiet until the seventh inning when they began the frame with a Jeff Sitarski single and a Sam Lawrence double. They managed just a single run, however, with a fielder's choice, and a fly out before pulling to within 4-2 on a single by Jason Ramos. Vassar added an insurance run in the eighth for the final margin.

Martino was 2 for 4 with a pair of runs and an RBI and Smach, the rightfielder, was 3 for 3 with a run knocked in. Silver improved to 1-1 and Spencer picked up his first save.

Sophomore Patrick McMackin (1-4) took the loss for Rensselaer, which got multiple hits from Ramos (2 for 2), a senior designated hitter. 

RPI and Vassar are back on the field on Sunday for another doubleheader, this one in Poughkeepsie. First pitch is noon.