AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Zach Begin earned the victory on the hill to lead the St. Joseph's College baseball team to 12-3 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Monday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. With the win, the Monks improve to 3-0, while the Engineers drop to 1-2.

Begin allowed just two runs on four hits over 5.0 innings, striking out six and walking one. He threw 94 pitches. For RPI, senior Brendan McNerney gave up a run on two hits in 3.1 innings, striking out four and walking two. He registered 60 pitches and took the no-decision.

The Engineers scored first in the bottom of the second inning, when sophomore Richard Drum grounded out to second, bringing home junior Jack Vaccari from third.

After a scoreless third, St. Joseph's drew even (1-1) on an RBI-single off the bat of Drew Healey. A four-run top of the fifth followed, with three of the runs coming home on wild pitches.

A Joey Murphy single in the top of the sixth brought home a pair, thanks in part to an RPI error, to give the Monks a 7-1 lead. 

Sophomore Joseph Cursi brought home RPI's second run in the bottom of the sixth, lifting a sacrifice fly to right that plated sophomore Jake Defayette.

The two teams then traded single runs in the seventh, before St. Joseph's put together another four-run frame in the eighth. The inning was highlighted by a two-run double Greg Emanuelson with the bases loaded. 

RPI was led offensively by Defayette, who went 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Vaccari was 1 for 3 with a run, while junior Eric Zeppa was 1 for 2 with a double and a run. From the pen, sophomore Jake Nichols and Mike Tagaris were solid. Nichols struck out four over 1.1 innings, allowing one unearned run, while Tagaris worked 1.2 perfect innings to close out the contest, striking out one.

The Engineers are back in action tomorrow afternoon, when they take on Anna Maria College (2pm). St. Joseph's plays Gwynedd Mercy tomorrow (9am).