ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Senior Brendan McNerney threw 5.2 scoreless innings to lead the fourth seed Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a 6-4 victory over fifth seed Union College in the Wild Card Game of the 2019 Liberty League Tournament, Thursday morning at Towers Field. With the win, the Engineers improve to 20-17 overall, while the Dutchmen conclude their season at 18-21.

RPI advances to the double-elimination stage of the tournament and will face top-se and host seed and host University of Rochester later today at 5pm.
McNerney (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley) allowed two hits and seven walks over his 5.2 innings of work, striking out a season-high 11 batters. Colin Nye (Salem, MA/St. John's Prep) took the loss for Union, giving up three runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings.

The Engineers broke through for three runs in the bottom of the second to take an early lead. Freshman Jack Moncur (Burlington, ON/Notre Dame Catholic) got the scoring started with a single through the left side of the infield, plating junior Jack Vaccari (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton). Then, with two outs in the inning, sophomore Jake Defayette (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) delivered a two-run single to right, scoring Moncur and sophomore Richard Drum (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa).

Four scoreless frames followed, with Union leaving the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings. Sophomore lefthander Chris Grome (Framingham, MA/Dexter Southfield School) got out of the jam in the sixth on one pitch, after relieving McNerney.

The Dutchmen then struck for a pair in the top of the seventh, beginning with a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of sophomore designated hitter Chris O'Brien (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley), that scored sophomore Jack Koch (St. Paul, MN/Cretin-Derham Hall). Trailing runner, Andy Labeck (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream South) was thrown out at third on the play by RPI freshman shortstop George Rainer (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai). A throwing error on a pick-off attempt allowed the second run to come across.

RPI plated three big insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out, on a single from Drum and a pinch-hit double to right off the bat of sophomore Peter Close (Guilderland, NY/Christian Brothers Academy). A third strike that was not handled behind the plate allowed sophomore Hudson Livesey (Delmar, NY/St. Petersburgh) to reach and Drum to score from third.

Two batters later, Defayette delivered again, doubling to right field to bring home Close. Senior Austin Lawrence (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia) followed with an RBI-single to center to give the Engineers a 6-2 lead.

A walk to open the top of the ninth was followed by a two-run homer off the bat of O'Brien, pulling the Dutchmen to within 6-4. Sophomore righthander Ryan Yerby (Montara, CA/Half Moon Bay) then came out of the bullpen for his first relief appearance of the year. He induced a fly out and a groundout, before issuing a walk to sophomore Elias Kuhn (Chicago, IL/Jones College Prep). Union pinch hitter Kevin Chaimowitz (Bellmore, NY/W.C. Mepham) then worked a full count before taking a called third strike to end the game.

The save for Yerby was the first of his collegiate career. Lawrence finished 3 for 5 with a run batted in, while Defayette was 2 for 5 with three RBI. Senior Joe Ganim (Easton, CT/Fairfield Prep) was the lone Union batter with multiple hits, going 2 for 5 out of the leadoff stop.