TROY, N.Y. – Junior Jack Vaccari went 4 for 8 with five runs batted in to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Skidmore College, on Monday afternoon at Robison Field. With wins of 14-7 and 10-5, the Engineers improve to 7-5 overall (3-1 Liberty League), while the Thoroughbreds drop to 6-6 (1-3 Liberty League).

Vaccari (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) ignited a comeback in Game 2, ripping a grand slam to left to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the third inning. An infield single by freshman George Ranier (Mount Sinai, NY/Dexter Southfield School) later in the frame gave the Engineers their first lead at 5-4.

Skidmore sophomore Sam Browning (Chatham, NJ/Chatham) knotted things at 5-5 with an RBI-groundout into the top of the fifth, scoring senior Pat Geiger (East Brunswick, NJ/St. Joseph) from third.
A four-run bottom of the fifth then gave the hosts a 9-5 advantage, highlighted by a two-run double to the gap in left center by sophomore first baseman Joseph Curci (Chicago, IL/University of Chicago High School). Classmate tacked on a run-scoring groundout in the sixth, plating fellow sophomore Peter Close (Guilderland, NY/Christian Brothers Academy), who led off the frame with a triple that came just feet from leaving the yard in right.

Sophomore righthander Mike Tagaris (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) was stellar in relief, allowing just a single hit over 3.0 innings to finish the contest. He earned his first collegiate win, walking one and needing just 29 pitches.

In Game 1, RPI jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just one inning. Sophomore catcher Hudson Livesey (Delmar, NY/St. Petersburgh) and freshman Jack Moncur (Burlington, ON/Notre Dame Catholic) each collected RBI-singles in the inning.

After a Skidmore sacrifice fly got one run back in the top of the second, the Engineers answered with two more in the bottom half to take a 5-1 lead. Freshman Cole Paquin (Clifton Park, NY/ Shenendehowa) doubled to right, scoring Ranier, before Curci brought home Paquin with a base hit to right center.

Geiger launched a solo homer to draw within 5-2 in the fourth, before Will Potter (Charlotte, VT/Champlain Valley Union) made it a two-run game (5-3) with an RBI-double in the fifth.

RPI then exploded for nine runs over the next two innings to blow the game open. In the four-run bottom of the fifth, the Engineers' first three batters singled, before a run-scoring groundout from Moncur. Sophomore Richard Drum (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) then swatted a two-run single to center to make it 8-3. Senior Austin Lawrence (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) capped the rally with a double down the left field line that brought home Drum.

The five-run sixth saw Drum come through once again, driving a two-run double to left center, following an RBI-single from Livesey.

Skidmore collected four runs on just two hits in the top of the seventh, but left the bases loaded when pinch hitter Christian Italiano (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) was struck out by RPI sophomore Griffin Kelley (South Portland, ME/South Portland).

Junior righthander Christopher Palmiero (Patterson, NY/Carmel) earned his second win on the year for RPI, allowing six runs (2 earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings. He struck out three and walked one.

The Engineers are back in action on Wednesday, when they host MCLA at Robison Field (4pm). Skidmore visits Rochester for four this weekend.