AMSTERDAM, N.Y. – Despite a 7-6 closely contested loss in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team bounced back with a 12-6 victory in game two of the series against the Union Dutchmen. RPI moves to 11-8-1 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while Union moves to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in Liberty League action.
 
Game 1
RPI made the first move of the game as Jack Moncur collected an RBI single to left field that scored two runs as the Eningeers led 2-0. That ended up as the only lead for RPI, as Union responded with a five-run first inning highlighted by a pair of RBI singles from Thomas Parisi and Dan Choate.
 
Union extended that 5-2 lead to 7-2 with one run apiece in the third and fourth inning, with Parisi earning his second RBI single in the fourth inning.
 
Aidan Hicks' bat came alive late, as his ground ball to third base in the top of the seventh was thrown away, allowing Cole Paquin to score and cut the Union lead to 7-3. Hicks then struck again in the top of the ninth, as he mashed a three-run home run with one out in the inning to make it 7-6. However after a pitching change, Union shut the door on the RPI rally.
 
Game 2
 
The Engineers carried their momentum into game two, scoring nine runs in the top of the first inning and sending 13 batters to the plate. Four different RBI singles were the highlights of the inning. Paquin added an RBI double in the second inning, as the RPI lead grew to 10-0 after two innings of play.
 
The Dutchman cut the lead in half in the second and third innings, as Sebastian Pike knocked a solo home run over the left field fence to put Union on the board. Jack Davis continued the streak with a two-run home run in the third, followed by a two-run home run from Jono Santos as well.
 
Leading 10-5 into the sixth, RPI once again found RBI singles in both the sixth and seventh innings from Julian Scarpa and Martin Marintchev while Union received another RBI from Davis in the sixth. Marintchev's RBI base knock closed the scoring in the game, giving RPI a 12-6 lead as Andrew Gaughan recorded the final five outs of the game on the mound.
 
Hicks led the RPI offense with five total hits on the day and his three RBI, followed by four hits from Paquin. Hicks also scored four times throughout the day, and Paquin crossing the plate three times. Martintchev also added four hits, including a perfect 3-for-3 effort in game two.
 
Parisi matched Hicks' mark of five hits on the day for Union, with four coming in game one. Chris Suter matched seven innings in game one for the Dutchmen, scattering seven hits and two earned runs while striking out six.
 
The Engineers return to action on Sunday, April 2 as they play host to Union at Robison Field in Troy in a rubber match for the weekend series at 12 p.m.