TROY, N.Y. – The trio of Alexis Cooke, Logan O'Neill and Brooke Sroczinski combined to throw a no-hitter in the season opener, leading the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team to a doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon at Doris Robison Field. After winning Game 1, 3-0, the Engineers fell to SUNY New Paltz, 2-0, in the nightcap. The Hawks move to 3-9 on the season.

A sophomore, Cooke (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional) threw the first 4.1 innings, allowing four walks and striking out four. O'Neill (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro), a freshman, then came on to record two outs, before another sophomore, Sroczinski (Raynham, MA/Bishop Feehan) worked the final 2.0 innings to earn her first collegiate save. She had four strikeouts and did not walk a batter.

The no-hitter was RPI's first since Kristina Weltzin '15 turned the trick against Clarkson on April 27, 2014 and the first combined no-no since March 11, 2010, when Jen Bach '11 and Sarah Palleschi '12 teamed up to shut down Pine Manor. Today's feat was the program's first 7.0-inning no-hitter since Nikki Dooley '07 in 2004.

RPI scored the game's only runs in the bottom of the first inning. Graduate Student Veronica DeStefano (Emerson, NJ/Emerson) opened the frame with single up the middle, before stealing second and advancing third on a wild pitch. Junior Erin Askins (Tehachapi, CA/Tehachapi) then doubled to deep center, scoring DeStefano. A hit batter and walk followed, before freshman catcher Alex Ledger (North Smithfield, RI/North Smithfield) plated Rensselaer's second run with a groundout to short. Grad Student Maddie Provencher (Rutland, MA/Wachusett Regional) capped the rally with another ground ball out that scored classmate Allie Hunt (Pittsford, MA/Pittsford) from third.

After New Paltz starter Emily Fox (Commack, NY/Commack) failed to record an out in the opening frame, junior Jillian Harrison (Gardiner, NY/New Paltz) came on and threw 6.0 no-hit innings in relief, striking out six. The lone blemish being an infield error in the bottom of the third.

In Game 2, junior Katie Quagliana (East Amherst, MA/Williamsville South) hurled a complete-game shutout for the Hawks, allowing three hits, while striking out six in a 2-0 victory for the visitors.
Sroczinski (0-1) was the tough-luck loser for the Engineers, surrendering only one run on five hits in 4.0 innings as RPI's starter. O'Neill allowed a run on two hits in an inning of relief, before Cooke threw 2.0 innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.

New Paltz plated the game's first run in the top of third, when senior Nina Simms (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay East Fishkill) walked and stole second in front of an RBI-single off the bat of sophomore Lauren Shambo (Kingston, NY/Kingston).

The Hawks added an insurance run in the sixth, thanks to back-to-back hits to the lead off the inning from freshman Kelly Marmorowski (Floral Park, NY/Floral Park) and Quagliana, who singled up the middle for her second hit of the day.

RPI was unable to take advantage of two fielding mishaps in the bottom of the seventh, after putting runners on second and third with two away. Engineers freshman Caroline Peel (Columbia, SC/Dreher) nearly tied the game, but her lofted line drive to shallow left was caught on the dive by New Paltz freshman shortstop Rhionna Bianchini (Blue Point, NY/Bayport-Blue Point) to end the game.

The Engineers return to action on Tuesday, when they host Union College for a doubleheader (3pm). The Hawks visits SUNY Oswego on Tuesday (3pm).