TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team picked up a 5-4 non-conference win over Springfield on Wednesday afternoon at Robison Baseball Field, using a pair of run-scoring responses and a go-ahead eighth inning to secure the victory.

Springfield struck first with two runs in the top of the opening inning, but RPI answered in the second to pull even. Matt Chotiner worked a walk and Robbie Reddington followed with a single, and Walker Abdallah lined an RBI single up the middle to put the Engineers on the board. Charlie Morse delivered the tying hit moments later with an RBI single to make it 2-2.

The Pride regained the lead with single runs in the fourth and sixth to go up 4-2, but RPI responded in the bottom of the sixth with the biggest swing of the day. Morse drew a walk and stole second, and Ben Belliss launched a two-run homer to left to tie the game at 4-4.

The Engineers manufactured the decisive run in the eighth. Morse again reached base via a walk and came around to score when Jorge Hitlin ripped an RBI double to left-center to give RPI its first lead of the afternoon, 5-4.

From there, the bullpen closed it out. Andrew Gaughan worked a scoreless eighth to earn the win, and Zac Zajac followed with a clean ninth, including a strike out of the leadoff man before retiring the final two hitters, to record his sixth save of the season.

Morse was a constant spark atop the lineup, reaching base five times by going 2-for-2 with three walks, scoring twice, and driving in a run. Belliss provided the key power with the game-tying two-run homer and finished with two RBI, while Abdallah drove in a run and Hitlin delivered the go-ahead RBI double off the bench. Chotiner reached base three times and scored once, and Reddington added a hit and a run scored.

The Engineers return to league play on Friday at 4:00 pm at home against Bard.