ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Sophomore DJ Marone went 4 for 5 with a double to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a doubleheader split at Bard College on Saturday afternoon. After falling 4-1 in Game 1, the Engineers won Game 2 by a score of 4-2, to improve to 12-12 overall (6-4 Liberty League). The Raptors are now 11-12 (5-5 Liberty League).

Marone reached on an infield single in the top of the third of Game 2, before stealing second and scoring the game's first run on an RBI-single off the bat of senior Ethann Meister. Bard answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a brief 2-1 lead. David Schlosser drew a bases loaded walk in front of a run-scoring single by Mike Pizzuto.

RPI then struck for three in the top of the fourth, thanks to three hits and one Raptors error. With one away in the frame, sophomore Jack Vaccari dropped down a bunt single, before freshman Peter Close grounded out with Vaccari moving to second. Classmate Hudson Livesey singled-home Vaccari to tie the game at 2-2. Morone then came through with a second straight two-out hit, doubling to left, which scored Livesey. Senior captain JT Sawyer capped the rally by reaching on an error, allowing Morone to come home for a 4-2 advantage.

Sophomore righthander Christopher Palmiero was able to work into the seventh inning to pick up his second win (2-1). He surrendered two runs on six hits over 6.2 innings, striking out three and walking two. Senior Nick Pacifico pitched 1.1 scoreless innings before sophomore Erick Zecka collected the save, posting a perfect ninth inning.

Frank Ortega (4-2) took the loss for the Raptors, allowing four runs (3 earned) on nine hits over 5.0 innings.

In Game 1, Bard plated a pair of early runs in defeating the Engineers, 4-1. Rory Maglich scored on a wild pitch to open the scoring in the bottom of the second, before Jordan Myers made it 2-0 in the third with an RBI-single to center, plating Ryan Chipman.

The Raptors added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, courtesy of a run-scoring base hit by Schlosser and ground ball double-play that brought around another.

RPI got one run back in the sixth on a single by Meister that scored junior Austin Lawrence, but Bard's Evan Richardson and Alex Bunnell combined to shut down the Engineers bats over the final inning and change.

Richardson (2-2) allowed a run on four hits over 6.0 innings, with 13 strikeouts and four walks, while Bunnell earned his first save, striking out one. RPI junior Brendan McNerney (2-3) went the distance, allowing four runs (1 earned) on six hits over 6.0 innings. He had seven strikeouts and two walks.

The two teams will now meet for a single game on Tuesday in Troy (4pm), as Sunday's scheduled doubleheader has been called due to weather.