TROY, N.Y. – Senior Nick Pacifico worked 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team come back to earn a doubleheader split with the University of Rochester, on Friday afternoon at Robison Field. After falling 8-4 in Game 1, the Engineers scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to take Game 2, 7-6, to improve to 8-7 overall (4-2 Liberty League). The Yellowjackets are now 1-7 (1-1 Liberty League).

Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth, RPI saw its first six batter reach via base hits, including pinch hits from sophomore Noah Normyle (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony Union) and senior captain Christian Spagnuola (Commack, NY/Commack). A sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Weston Hawkins (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood) plated the go-head run, as classmate J.T. Sawyer (Johnsonville, NY/Hoosic Valley) came across to score from third.

The Yellowjackets then put running on the corners with one out in the top of the ninth, but Pacifico (Newburgh, NY/Wallkill) was able to strike out both freshman Drew Bankovich (DuBois, PA/DuBois Area) and junior Corey Ziring (Media, PA/Strath Haven) with high fastballs to end the game.

Pacifico (2-0) allowed just three hits and a walk over 3.1 innings, after coming on for sophomore starter Christopher Palmiero (Patterson, NY/Carmel) in the fifth inning. Palmiero surrendered six runs (3 earned) on 10 hits in 5.2 innings, striking out six without a walk.

Rochester scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Junior Jack Herman (Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs) doubled home the game's first two runs, before coming around to score on a single by Bankovich.

The two teams then traded runs in the second, with RPI junior Michael Arboleda (Wappingers Falls, NY/John Jay) hitting his first collegiate home run – a drive over the fence in right center.

After the Yellowjackets made it 5-2 with a run in the top of the fifth, Rensselaer scored two in the bottom half on a sac fly and a U of R throwing error to draw back to within 5-3.

A bases loaded catcher's interference made it a 6-3 game in the top of the sixth, setting up RPI's big eighth inning comeback.

???????Arboleda paced the Engineers offensively in Game 2, going 4 for 4 with a double, a home run, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Freshman Richard Drum (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) was 2 for 3 with a double and two runs.

Game 1 saw Rochester jump out to a 5-0 lead after two innings. Herman delivered the biggest blow in the four-run second, driving a bases clearing double to left center.

RBI-base hits from Drum and Normyle cut the deficit to 5-2 in the third, but an run-scoring single off the bat of Ziring made it a four-run game (6-2) in the top of the fourth.

???????Normyle then came through with an RBI-double down the left field line in the home half of the fifth, but the Yellowjackets once again had the answer, tallying one run in the six and one in the seventh for an 8-3 advantage.

An Eric Zeppa (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach) sacrifice fly was dropped in right center in the bottom of the seventh, but Rochester starter Luke Meyerson (Rye, NY/Rye) was able to induce a game-ending double play to squelch an RPI rally.

???????Meyerson (1-1) allowed four runs (3 earned) on 10 hits over 7.0 innings, throwing 120 pitches. He struck out four and walked three for the complete game win. RPI junior righthander Brendan McNerney (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley) suffered the loss, giving up five runs (4 earned) on five hits over 3.0 innings. He had six strikeouts and four walks.

All three RPI relievers allowed at least a run, including sophomore Griffin Kelley (South Portland, ME/South Portland) who worked 2.0 innings. He stuck out two and did not walk a batter.

Both teams are back in action for tomorrow's doubleheader at Robison Field, with first pitch scheduled for 12pm.