TROY, N.Y. - The Middlebury College baseball team scored at least three runs in an inning four times, lifting the Panthers to a season-opening doubleheader sweep at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Friday. The Panthers (2-0) won the first of two seven-inning games by the score of 8-5, before taking the nightcap, 11-0 to top the Engineers (4-3). 

Middlebury fell behind 3-0 after three innings in the opening contest, following a two-RBI single by Jake Defayette and a run-scoring hit by Martin Marintchev but used its first big frame to jump ahead, 4-3. The visitors plated their first run in the fourth when Chris Borter singled to left to drive in Sammy Smith. Borter later scored on a base hit by Andrew Ashley to make it a one-run deficit. Sawyer Duarte catapulted the Panthers into the lead, belting a two-run double into the gap in right-center field.

Middlebury had another four-run frame in the top of the sixth to gain some breathing room. Duarte drove in his third run of the contest with a fielder's choice and later scored when the ball got away from the Engineers catcher for a 6-3 advantage. John Collins made it 7-3 with a single up the middle to score Zip Malley, while Jack Stolper picked up an infield hit to drive in Collins.

The Engineers added two runs in the last half of the seventh on a two-run double by Joe Curci to close the gap to 8-5, but Jackson Atwood recorded the final out for the save.

The Panthers had a balanced attack at the plate, as Collins, Stolper, Smith and Ashley each had two hits. Alex Price (1-0) got the win on the mound, going five innings and giving up three runs on three hits with six strikeouts.

Curci and Defayette both drove in two runs for RPI, while starting pitcher Ryan Yerby (0-1) took the loss giving up four runs over five innings.

Middlebury came out swinging in the second contest, claiming a 3-0 lead after a half inning. Alec Ritch led off the game with a base hit up the middle and later touched home plate on a single by Stolper. Mitchell Schroeder accounted for the second run, lifting a sacrifice fly to center, while Borter drove in Stolper for the final tally of the stanza.

The Panthers continued scoring in the second, getting four runs to increase the difference to 7-0. The big hit of the frame was a two-run homer by Smith to left-center field.

Middlebury added single runs in four of the five remaining innings, including a pair of home runs. Collins hit a solo shot to center field in the fourth, while Nathan Samii connected on his first collegiate blast in the seventh for the 11-0 final.

Eleven different players recorded hits in the win, as Malley went 3-4 with an RBI, while Collins went 2-2 with two RBI and a homer at the plate for the Panthers. Borter also had two hits in the win. On the mound, Alex Rosario (1-0) allowed one hit over five innings with five strikeouts. 

Marintchev had the lone hit for the Engineers, while Nick Muglia (0-1) took the loss, surrendering seven runs in 1.2 innings.