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TROY, N.Y. - Ethann Meister was 3 for 5 with a run and three RBI and Jack Vaccari also had three hits to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) defeat the University of Rochester, 5-4, in the second game of a Liberty League doubleheader at Robison Field. The Yellowjackets won the first game, 7-4, and are now 2-8 overall and 2-2 in the conference. RPI is 9-8 and 5-3.

Meister, a senior shortstop, was the catalyst offensively for the Engineers, knocking in the first run of the game with a single to left field in the third inning before plating the game's second run with a single up the middle in the fifth. The Engineers scored two more times in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. 

Rochester got a run back in the fifth inning, but RPI answered in the sixth on a single from Austin Lawrence. The Yellowjackets added two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth.

RPI starter Erick Zecha earned the win, allowing three runs (2 earned) on seven hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts in six innings. He is now 4-0. Senior Aaron Kalish pitched the final two innings for the save.

Jon Turk, who pitched the first four innings for Rochester, suffered the loss. He allowed three runs (2 earned) on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts in four innings. David Reith was 3 for 5 and Kyle Trombley was 3 for 4 with two runs. 

In the first game, Rochester scored five runs in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and then held on for a 7-4 win, leaving the Engineers with bases loaded in the final inning. Starter Jack Denzer pitched 6.2 innings to earn the win and Hank Powers who got the final out with the tying run on first base, earned the save.
 
In the sixth, the Yellowjackets put up five runs on four hits, including an Aiden Finch double to left field that scored two runs, a Grant Kilmer pinch hit single to center that plated one and a Craig single that scored Kilmer.
 
RPI jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning on RBI singles from JT Sawyer and Christian Spagnuola, but the advantage was cut to one run in the bottom of the frame when Herman homered deep to left field.
 
Eight different players had single hits in the win, including Finch, who had a double, with a run scored and two runs batted in, and Aaron Craig, who had two RBI. For Rensselaer, Noah Normyle and Michael Arboleda were both 2 for 3 with Normyle hitting a double and Arboleda scoring twice. Starter Chris Grome took the loss after allowing five hits and four runs with a walk and two strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
 
Denzer allowed four runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts, while Powers induced a game-ending flyout to centerfield in his 0.1 inning of work.

Rochester is back in action on Tuesday against Ithaca College (4pm), while Rensselaer hosts Plattsburgh State on Wednesday at 4pm.