POTSDAM, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team dropped game three of its Liberty League weekend series at Clarkson, 5-2, this afternoon at Jack Phillips Field. 

Clarkson struck first with a run in the bottom of the opening inning, cashing in after a leadoff single and a fielding error put runners in scoring position before an RBI single made it 1-0.  The Golden Knights added another in the second on an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0. 

RPI answered in the third to get on the board. Cam Hawley singled and later scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit to 2-1.  Clarkson responded right back in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly to regain a two-run cushion at 3-1. 

The Engineers chipped closer again in the fifth. Stephen Koval singled and moved into scoring position, and after Hawley executed a bunt to move him up, Robbie Reddington lifted a sacrifice fly to bring Hawley home and make it 3-2. 

Clarkson's pitching settled in from there, while the Golden Knights tacked on key insurance late. In the sixth, a two-out RBI single pushed the lead to 4-2, and Clarkson added one more in the seventh on an RBI single following an RPI error to close out the 5-2 final.  

Hawley led the Engineers offensively, scoring both RPI runs while going 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Walker Abdallah finished 1-for-5, Ben Belliss and Connor Dynan added hits (with Dynan doubling down the right-field line), and Reddington drove in RPI's second run with the sacrifice fly. 

On the mound, Belliss went 6.0 innings with six strikeouts, and Andrew Crux and Danny Nayvelt combined to work the final two frames out of the bullpen. 

RPI next heads to Williams for a 4:00 pm non-conference matchup on Wednesday.