TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team battled back from a four-run deficit to get to within a run and the Engineers had the tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning but Cole Crider earned the save for Middlebury College, who posted a 5-4 win in the non-league contest. The Panthers improve to 9-3, while Rensselaer is now 10-7-1.

Crider, a right hander, came on to start the ninth inning with Middlebury ahead 5-4 and the junior got the first two batters on a ground out and pop out. The third, leadoff hitter Aidan Hicks, reached on a dropped third strike and advanced to second on a throwing error, but Crider closed things out with a strikeout for his first save.

RPI had pulled to within a run with a pair in the eighth inning. Martin Marintchev singled with one out and moved to second on a single by Joey Saia. Jack Moncur scored Marintchev with a base hit to left center and Saia later came around on a fielders choice by Ayush Krishnappa. 

The Engineers held a 1-0 lead after three innings before Middlebury manufactured a pair of runs in the fourth. A Lucas Flemming groundout plated Nathan Samii and Sammy Smith scored on an error. The Panthers made it 5-1 the next inning when Mitchell Schroeder hit a three-run home run, his first of the season.

Julian Scarpa countered with a homer of his own, his first, in the bottom half of the frame to make it 5-2.

Scarpa was one of five Engineers with one hit, while Kyle McCausland was 2 for 4 with a run for the visitors. 

Sawyer Duarte earned the win on the mound, allowing just two runs on one hit with five walks and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Julian Fong-McAdams took the loss after giving up two runs (1 earned) on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts over 4.0 innings.