TROY, N.Y. – John Collins hit two home runs and drove in three to lead the Middlebury College baseball team to a 13-3 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Wednesday evening at Robison Field at Karl Steffen Ballpark. With the win, the Panthers improve to 6-6 overall, while the Engineers drop to 7-9.

Collins rapped the first of his two long balls in the top of the second inning, when he took the first pitch he saw from RPI rigththander Michael Castello over the fence in left.

RPI senior shortstop George Rainer pulled the hosts even at 1-1 with an RBI-double left in the bottom half of the inning, before a wild pitch gave the Engineers a 2-1 lead in the third.

Middlebury busted the game open the top of the fourth, scoring six runs on just four hits. Sammy Smith got the big inning started with a two-run homer to left, before Beau Root doubled off the fence in right to plate two more. Kyle McCausand tacked on two more with a single to center, giving the Panthers a 7-2 lead.

Collins' second home run put Middlebury up 9-2 in the fifth. Later in the frame, Lucas Flemming launched a three-run shot to make it 12-2.

Graduate student Jake Defayette drove in RPI's third run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, doubling to straight away center to score Freddy Reichelt, who also doubled earlier in the frame.

Smith the plated the game's final run with a single to left, bringing home McCausland.

RPI threw nine pitchers in the game, with Evan Mahns, Rob Goldstein, Jack Ellis, Nick Muglia and Rylan Wade all working clean outings. Mahns opened for the Engineers, striking out a pair, while Goldstein had a perfect third with two strikeouts.

Henry Gustavson (1-1) struck out one in 1.0 innings to pick up the victory on the hill for Middlebury. Starter Justin Lessing surrendered two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings.

The Engineers are back on the diamond on Saturday, when they open a three-game series with Bard College (1pm). Middlebury travels to Hamilton on Friday (4pm).