LEESBURG, Fla. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team improved to 10-0 for the first time in program history on Wednesday, winning a pair of non-league games at Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex over Marian University (9-0) and Penn State Brandywine (7-4). The Engineers surpassed the 2004 club that opened the year 8-0.

Following their third straight run-rule shortened contest, the Engineers were tested against the Nittany Lions on the nightcap.

After getting on the board with a sacrifice fly by senior Allie Hunt in the bottom half of the first, RPI found itself behind 2-1 after Brandywine scores two runs in the top of the second. A Peyton Landis home run to left tied the game, before Lianna DeDios plated the visitors' second run with groundout to short.

RPI answered immediately with a four-run bottom of the second to take a 5-2 lead. Senior Veronica DeStefano led the charge with a two-run single through the left side of the infield that plated classmates Maddie Provencher and Cam Caswell. Sophomore Jessica Torch then doubled to deep left field to score two more.

Penn State chipped away over the next two innings, plating single runs in each frame. Starting pitcher Alexandra Szpindor tripled home a run in the third, while Nikkie Velez came home on a wild pitch to draw within 5-4.

The game remained tight until the bottom of the sixth, when RPI scored two insurance runs. Torch came through with another double that drove home freshman pinch-runner Chloe Lewandowski, before an RBI-ground ball from Hunt pushed DeStefano across for a 7-4 advantage.

Freshman righthander Alexis Cooke (3-0) worked the game's final four innings in relief to get the win. She allowed one unearned run on three hits, with five strikeouts and two walks.

RPI is back in action tomorrow afternoon for the final two games of its Spring Trip, when it takes on Penn State Altoona (4pm) and Susquehanna (6:15pm).