TROY, N.Y. – The 22nd-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team opened its home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Sage College on Tuesday, winning by scores of 9-1 and 6-1. The Engineers, who extend their winning streak to 11 games, improve to 13-2 overall, while the Gators drop to 5-9.

In Game 1, the Engineers scored all nine of their runs in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Veronica DeStefano led off the frame with a double to fence in left, before freshman Jessica Torch reached on a bunt single. A stolen base and a sacrifice fly followed, plating the first run of the inning. Then, freshman Erin Askins (Tehachapi, CA/Tehachapi) lifted an opposite field home run to left – the first of her collegiate career – to open up a 3-0 lead.

With two outs in the inning, RPI sparked a second rally, as seven straight batters reached, beginning with a single by junior Cam Caswell (Prospect, CT/Woodland Regional) and pair of walks to load the bases. Four consecutive singles followed, with junior Quin Garant (Anaheim Hills, CA/Canyon) driving home a pair with a base hit through the right side.

Sage scored its only run of the contest in the top of the fourth, when senior Kiersten Duncan (Millerton, NY/Taconic Hills) led off with a double to right and came around on looping single over second base by junior Alicia Swavely (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy).

Freshman righthander Erika Holowka (Forked River, NJ/Lacey Township) picked up the win in the circle to improve to 7-1 on the year. She allowed one run on one hit over the abbreviated 5.0-inning complete game, striking out four.

In the nightcap, the two clubs traded single runs in the first inning, before the Engineers once again struck for a crooked number in the bottom of the third. Askins and and Caswell each delivered run-scoring hits, before a Sage error allowed two more to come home.

A sacrifice fly by Askins in the fourth and an RBI-ground out from sophomore Kyla Anderson (Mission Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley) capped the scoring for the Engineers.

Sophomore Taylor Spargo (Wurstboro, NY/Monticello) went the distance for RPI, picking up her fourth win (4-0), while surrendering one unearned run on six hits over 7.0 innings. She struck out two and walked one. Swavely (3-1) suffered her first loss of 2019, giving up six runs (4 earned) on seven hits over 3.1 innings.

Torch led the Engineers at the plate, going a combined 5 for 5 in the two games, with two walks, three runs, an RBI and six stolen bases. Caswell finished 4 for 7 with three runs and an RBI. The 11-game winning streak is the programs longest since 2009, when it also won 11 in a row.

The Engineers are back in action tomorrow afternoon, when they host Castleton in a doubleheader (3pm). Sage travels to Alfred for an Empire 8 twin bill on Friday (3pm).