TROY, N.Y. - Junior Julian Scarpa led an offensive charge by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team on Friday afternoon, as he hit two home runs and collected six RBI as the Engineers defeated the Bard College Raptors by a final score of 22-12 in seven innings.

Friday's 34 combined runs are the most in a game for the Engineers since March 22, 2015 when they defeated Skidmore College in 10 innings by a final score of 19-16 in Auburndale, Florida. RPI's 22 runs Friday are the most in a game by the Engineers since they defeated Keene State 22-4 at Robison Field last Sunday, March 17.

The Raptors and Engineers traded three-run home runs in the first innings courtesy of Bard's Mike Hannan and Scarpa. Bard gained the advantage in the second inning, as they scored four to RPI's two as they held a 7-5 lead going into the third inning. 

RPI headed to the bullpen in the third, calling upon the to-be winning pitcher Cameron Heuer. He held Bard without a run in the third and fourth innings while the Engineers continued to pile on runs. The big blow for RPI came off the bat of Aidan Hicks, as he tripled to the gap in right center with the bases loaded, scoring all three runs to give RPI their first lead of the day, 9-7. A double by Jon Primerano to score Hicks gave the Engineers a 10-7 advantage. RPI added three more runs in the fourth to go up 13-7 at that point.

Bard punched back in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to come back within a run to make it 13-12. However, RPI put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning, scoring six more runs of their own highlighted by Scarpa's second big fly of the afternoon to go up 19-12.

The Engineers continued to pour on the runs, scoring two runs thanks to multiple stolen bases to set up runners in scoring position, ultimately holding Bard off the board and getting one run in the seventh inning to enact the Liberty League's run rule to end the game. A triple off the top of the right center field wall from Martin Marintchev to score Primerano ended the game, giving RPI the 22-12 win.

Scarpa, along with Matt Chotiner and Robbie Reddington all had three hits on the game, while Hicks had four RBI's to go with Scarpa's six. 

RPI returns to action tomorrow - Saturday, March 30 - at 12 p.m. in a doubleheader at Bard to finish the weekend series with the Raptors.