Box Score 1 TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team opened its home schedule with a doubleheader against Russell Sage on Thursday at Robison Field. The Engineers fell 10-4 in the opener, and game two was suspended due to darkness with RPI holding an 8-2 lead in the top of the third.

Sage jumped out early with a four-run first inning, highlighted by Carmela DeMaio's three-run triple and an RBI double from Allison Kenyon.

RPI began to chip away in the fourth. Callista Adorno reached on a bunt single and Sarah Decker followed with a single to put runners on, and after a sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position, Olivia Termi lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Adorno and put the Engineers on the board, 6-1.

The Engineers made their biggest push in the fifth. Maggie Kreis started the frame with a double before Sydney Speanburg ripped an RBI double to right-center. Moments later, Adorno drove in a run on a fielder's choice that was compounded by a throwing error, allowing another run to score and trimming the margin to 6-3. Speanburg later crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it a two-run game, 6-4.

Sage responded with four runs in the sixth, three on Annalise Tyler's triple and another unearned run, to regain separation and close out the scoring.

Speanburg led RPI offensively, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and an RBI. Adorno finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and was hit by a pitch, while Termi added an RBI via sacrifice fly. Kreis went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, and Decker reached base three times with a single and two walks.

RPI came out swinging in game two, erupting for eight runs in the bottom of the first to build an early advantage.

Speanburg singled to open the inning, and after McDowell reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt, Adorno delivered a two-run double to center to get the scoring started. Termi and Gaby Heim followed with RBI doubles, and Lauren Cosselman and Speanburg each drove in runs as the Engineers sent 10 batters to the plate and pushed the lead to 8-0.

Sage plated two runs in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, and the game was halted due to darkness in the top of the third with the score standing at 8-2.

Speanburg  started 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI, while McDowell drove in two with an RBI single. Adorno and Heim each doubled and drove in two, and Termi added an RBI double. Jackie Cutting started in the circle for RPI.

RPI next hosts Utica in a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm on Saturday.