TROY, N.Y. –  Freshman Cole Paquin went 4 for 7 to help the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Bard College, on Saturday afternoon at Robison Field. With wins of 5-4 and 10-7, the Engineers improve to 9-6 overall (5-1 Liberty League), while the Raptors drop to 7-10 (1-5 Liberty League).

In Game 1, Rensselaer scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a two-run deficit and win in walk-off fashion. Trailing 4-2, Senior Austin Lawrence (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) led off the frame with a single to left, followed by a base hit up the middle from Paquin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa). Pinch hitter DJ Morone (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) attempted to drop down a sacrifice bunt, but ended up reaching on a bunt to load the bases.

A walk to junior Jack Vaccari (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) cut the deficit to 4-3, before a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Sophomore Richard Drum (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) lifted a game-tying sacrifice fly to center, before freshman George Rainer (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) rolled a grounder to short and reached, bringing home the winning run on the error.

Junior righthander Erick Zecha (Keene, NH/Keene) took the no-decision, allowing four runs on eight hits over 5.0 innings. Sophomore Mike Tagaris (New City, NY/Clarkstown South) hurled two no-hit innings in relief to earn his second win of the year. Bard starter Evan Richardson (Jupiter, FL/Dwyer) went the distance, but fell to 2-3 after giving up five runs (4 earned) on seven hits over 6.2 innings.

Game 2 saw the Engineers earn another come-from-behind victory after the Raptors built a 7-3 lead through the top of the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the frame, RPI plated seven runs on just three hits and two Bard errors. With one away, a walk and an error put two on for Drum, who ripped a single to right, scoring Paquin from second. Pinch hitter Peter Close (Guilderland, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) came through with a two-run single through the left side of the infield, before a bases loaded walk to Rainer tied the game at 7-7.

A sacrifice fly from sophomore Jake Defayette (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) gave the Engineers their first lead, before a hot smash past the Bard third baseman by Paquin brought home RPI's ninth and 10th runs of the game.

Junior Christopher Palmiero (Patterson, NY/Carmel) settle in from there on the mound, allowing one hit and one walk over the final four innings. He finished by surrendering seven runs (1 earned) on eight hits over 9.0 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Bard senior Kyle Zigner (Hyde Park, NY/Roosevelt) suffered the loss, giving up 10 runs (7 earned) on five hits in 4.1 innings. Classmate Alex Bunnell (North Branford, CT/Hill Regional) worked 3.2 shutout innings in relief, allowing three hits and walked two with three strikeouts.

Both teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader in Annandale-on-Hudson (12pm).