ITHACA, N.Y. – Sophomore Ben Koomey contributed on both sides of the ball to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a wild 10-7 victory over Ithaca College in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Freeman Field. The Engineers, who dropped Game 1 by a score of 14-0, are now 3-7 overall (3-7 Liberty League), while the Bombers move to 16-9-1 (11-4-1 Liberty League).

As the starting pitcher in Game 2, Koomey allowed four runs (1 earned) on four hits over the game's first 5.0 innings. He struck out four and walked three. At the plate, he was 3 for 6 with a double and three runs scored, including a 10th-inning two-bagger that helped the Engineers to a lead in the frame.

After four scoreless innings, RPI got on the board in the top of the fifth. Senior Richard Drum ripped an opposite field single to open the scoring, before classmate Joe Curci singled home a pair for a 3-0 lead.
Ithaca answered with a four-run bottom half to take a 4-3 advantage. Garrett Callahan highlighted the outburst with a bases-clearing double to right.

Not to be deterred, the Engineers came right back in the ensuing frame, plating two runs in the sixth. Senior Jimmy Jankowski drove home the tying run with a fielder's choice, ahead of an RBI-single up the middle from classmate Jake Defayette.

A Defayette double in the eighth scored sophomore Sam Aslansan for a 6-4 lead, which turned out to be an important tally, as the Bombers were able to scratch across two in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.

Koomey roped a double to straight away center in the top of the 10th, before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Aslansan. Jankowski delivered the go-ahead single to plate Koomey and give the Engineers a 7-6 lead.

Ithaca tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom half, before loading the bases with two outs, but RPI sophomore Evan Mahns was able to get out of the jam by striking out Callaghan.

Rensselaer busted the game open in the 11th, beginning with another lead-off double. This time it was senior Hudson Livesey, who drove the first pitch he saw into the gap in left center. Classmate Peter Close then tried to give himself up, but the Bombers threw wildly to third, allowing Livesey to score and Close to advance to second. An infield hit and another error, made it 9-7, before Aslansan capped the rally with a single through the left side of the infield, plating Joey Saia.

Mahns (1-0) hit a batter with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, before inducing a groundout to end the game. He finished with 1.2 shutout innings to pick up the win. Senior Thomas Neuman added three strong innings of relief, surrendering three hits and striking out four.

In Game 1, the Bombers scored single runs in every inning until plating nine in the bottom of the sixth to take the seven-inning contest, 14-0.

Buzz Shirley paced the hosts offensively, going 3 for 4, with a double, a run and three runs batted in. Ethan Rothstein was 3 for 3 with two runs and an RBI, while Jack Lynch went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.

Kyle Lambert (5-0) earned the victory on the hill, allowing just three hits and a walk over 6.0 innings. He struck out five and walked one. For RPI, Jake Nichols (0-2) gave up four runs (3 earned) on seven hits over 4.0 innings.  

RPI is back on the diamond on Saturday, when it hosts Vassar College for a doubleheader (1pm). Ithaca hosts Rochester on Saturday (1pm).