BALTIMORE, MD - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team had its postseason run end against Johns Hopkins in the regional final of the NCAA Division III Championship.

Making the program's 11th appearance in the regional championship, the RPI bats got off to a hot start before the #1 nationally-ranked team in Division III exploded in the middle innings of the 17-5 result.

The Engineers produced two hits in each of the first two frames, resulted in one run in both innings. Aidan Hicks started the game with a base hit to left field and later came around to score on a two-out single by Ayush Krishnappa. The Engineers lead was brief though, as Johns Hopkins generated two runs in its first time up to go ahead 2-1 after one.

Hicks drove in RPI's next run in the top of the second, as his bases-loaded infield single plated Julian Scarpa. The Engineers had a chance to put more on the board with the bases full and no outs in the frame, but a strikeout and double play got Johns Hopkins out of trouble.

RPI got the first out in the bottom of third before a  Hopkins double fell out of the glove of a diving Hicks in center field. That started a stretch of eight straight Blue Jays to reach as the hosts put seven runs on the board. Hopkins paired seven hits with three Engineer errors in the big stanza. A three-run home run by Hopkins an inning later expanded the score to 12-2.

The Engineers added to their total in the fifth, as bases-loaded walks to Matt Chotiner and Hicks sandwiched an RBI single by Walker Abdallah in the three-run frame.  

Hicks and Michael Lebenson were on base three times apiece with a pair of hits and a walk. Krishnappa recorded two hits as well.

The top-ranked Blue Jays sent 43 batters to the plate and registered 18 hits to win their 31 host game in row.

The Liberty League Champion Engineers finish the spring with an overall mark of 31-16.