TUSCON, Ariz. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team began their season with their first two games in Arizona, as they fell to Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 4-0 before also falling to Concordia University (Neb.) by a final score of 11-10 in their opening day at the Tucson Invitational.
 
Game 1 vs. Olivet Nazarene
The Engineers were held to just four hits on the ballgame, as Erin Askins, Callista Adorno, Alex Ledger, and Brooke Sroczinski all collected base knocks. Ledger and Sroczinski both hit doubles for the Engineers.
 
Haley Dobson got things started in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double. She was promptly plated by Margaret Landis that put ONU on top. Two batters later, Kate Landis lifted an RBI single to left field that scored her sister and gave the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.
 
The Tigers added two more runs in the following frame, Madelynn Flinn roped an RBI single to right and Kate Landis drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Dobson with the final run.
 
Allie Timm shut out the Engineers on the hill, pitching a complete game shutout. She scattered four hits and struck out five in the win.
 
Game 2 vs. Concordia (Ill.)
With the help of a four-hit game from Caitlyn McGarvie, Concordia (Ill.) topped the Engineers in RPI's second game of the day. McGarvie also saved the game-tying sun from scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning, finding an outfield assist to clinch the win.
 
RPI jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, scoring two runs apiece in the bottom of the third and fourth innings. Maddy Brooks scored after reaching in the bottom of the third via a single, coming around to score on an error before Evann McDowell scored on a wild pitch.
 
In the fourth, Carline Peel found the gap for a double to score a run before Alex Ledger also scored from a wild pitch as well.
 
However in the top of the fifth, Concordia lined up 11 runs to jump ahead 11-4. That didn't stop the Engineers from battling back in the bottom of the fifth, as they collected three runs to bring the score back to 11-7. The inning was highlighted by an RBI single from Callista Adorno that scored two.
 
RPI continued to chip away by holding Concordia scoreless over the top of the sixth and seventh, all while scoring in each frame down the stretch. After scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to three straight hits that included back-to-back doubles from McDowell and Erin Askins, RPI fought in the bottom of the seventh to put a run on the board.
 
With two outs in the inning and a runner on second, Brooks singled home Peel to cut the Concordia lead to just one run, 11-10. McDowell then singles, putting runners on first and second. Askins then followed that up with a single, as Brooks took the round of third and headed home before being cut down by McGarvie at the plate.
 
Both pitching staffs combined to give up 31 hits and 21 runs on the game, walking only two batters combined and striking out seven.
 
RPI returns to action on Wednesday, March 8 when they play another two in Tucson against Bethany Lutheran College starting at 11 a.m.