TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team swept a doubleheader against Utica this afternoon Robison Field, opening with a 5-0 shutout before completing the day with a 9-2 victory in game two.

RPI struck early with three runs in the bottom of the first and Callie Volker made it stand, tossing a complete-game shutout as the Engineers earned a 5-0 win.

Evann McDowell singled and stole second to put RPI in business in the bottom of the first. Callista Adorno then laced an RBI double to left to bring home McDowell. Sarah Decker reached on a wild pitch a batter later and stole second as well, and Olivia Termi followed with a two-RBI single to shortstop to plate Adorno and Decker and make it 3-0.

The Engineers added insurance in the fourth. Lauren Cosselman tripled to left-center and scored when Gaby Heim reached on an error. Heim later moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on Speanburg's sacrifice bunt to extend the lead to 5-0.

McDowell led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a stolen base, while Termi drove in two. Adorno added an RBI double and Cosselman finished with a triple and a run.

In the circle, Volker was dominant, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out six in a seven-inning shutout.

Utica briefly grabbed momentum early in the second game, but RPI answered immediately and steadily pulled away behind timely hitting and disciplined at-bats to take the nightcap, 9-2.

RPI opened the scoring in the first. Speanburg worked a walk, McDowell laid down a bunt single, and after another free pass loaded the bases, Termi drew an RBI walk to force in the game's first run.

Utica responded with two runs in the second to take a 2-1 lead, but the Engineers answered right back in the bottom half. Cosselman and Heim singled, and Speanburg's bunt put pressure on the defense, resulting in an error that allowed Cosselman to score. Moments later, McDowell lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Heim and give RPI a 3-2 advantage.

RPI broke it open in the third with three more. Sarah Decker singled to start the inning, and Cosselman drilled an RBI double to center to score her. An error on the next play brought home another run, and Adorno drew a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 6-2.

The Engineers tacked on two in the fourth, Decker walked and stole second before eventually scoring, and a passed ball allowed another run to cross, before adding the final run in the sixth on McDowell's RBI double down the left-field line to score Cosselman.

Cosselman powered the offense with a 3-for-4 line, scoring three times and driving in two, while McDowell went 2-for-4 with a double and a team-high two RBI. Decker reached base four times and scored twice.

Jackie Cutting earned the win with 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and Gaby Heim closed it out with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out two.

The Engineers finish the weekend with a pair of games at Hartford tomorrow afternoon.