MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team took the field for the final time at The Space Coast Games this spring, as RPI opened the day with a 3-1 win over Messiah before defeating Marietta, 8-3, later in the afternoon. 

After edging Messiah in the opener, RPI set the tone right away with a three-run first inning of game two. Sydney Speanburg worked a leadoff walk, and after Maddy Brooks dropped down a sacrifice bunt, Callista Adorno and Addison Shaffer drew walks to load the bases. 

arah Decker followed with an RBI walk to force in Speanburg, and Olivia Termi added another bases-loaded walk to score Adorno. Evann McDowell then lined an RBI single through the left side to plate Shaffer and give the Engineers a 3-0 lead. 

Marietta got on the board in the second on an RBI groundout, but RPI answered with two unearned runs in the third. Lauren Cosselman singled and Gaby Heim walked before Speanburg reached on an error that allowed both runners to score, pushing the margin to 5-1. 

The Pioneers cut into the deficit in the bottom of the third with a two-run single, making it 5-3, but RPI's pitching settled in and kept Marietta off the board the rest of the way. 

RPI added insurance in the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, Shaffer drew a walk and Decker singled, and after a miscue extended the inning, McDowell reached on an error that brought home the placed runner to make it 6-3. The Engineers then tacked on two more in the seventh as Speanburg singled and Brooks reached on an error, setting the table for Adorno's RBI double to center. Shaffer followed with an RBI single to left as RPI extended the lead to 8-3. 

Speanburg reached base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks, scoring twice, and setting the tone from the leadoff spot. Adorno continued her strong trip with a 3-for-4 performance that included a double and an RBI, while Shaffer went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks. Cosselman finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, and McDowell drove in a run on her first-inning single and added another RBI via reaching on an error, as RPI totaled 11 hits. 

In the circle, Heim earned the win with 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on three hits while working around five walks. Jackie Cutting tossed a pair scoreless innings in relief, and Nicole Spaulding closed the door with a clean seventh as the Engineers held Marietta to four hits. 

The Engineers return north to prepare for a doubleheader at Williams on Saturday, March 14.