Thursday’s game versus the MCLA Trailblazers pitted tech against humanities. The Trailblazers took control of the game early, scoring two runs in the first inning off RPI starter Pat Hughes with a walk, a single, and a double. However, that was the only time the Trailblazers would hold a lead in the game, as the latter innings revealed the mismatch between the two teams.

The Red Hawks quickly tied the game and took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Hughes helped his own effort with a home run belted deep to left to bring RPI within one run of the Trailblazers. The rally continued with seeing-eye singles by senior center fielder Matt Faraone and sophomore first baseman Dan Quinn, and booming doubles by junior right fielder Nick Parenteau and junior second baseman Flynn Cochran that gave the Red Hawks a 4-2 lead.

The Red Hawks pounded out 15 more runs in the other eight frames off the weak Trailblazer pitching staff, and won the game by a final score of 19-4. Hughes earned the win for RPI, and Howland took the loss for the Trailblazers. The MVP of the day was Paranteau with three hits, six RBI, and three runs scored.

On Sunday, the Red Hawks played host to their long-time rivals, the St. Lawrence Saints, who are a mediocre 8-12 this year.

The first game of the twin bill began as a quiet pitchers’ duel. The starting pitchers on both sides scattered just four hits combined over the first three innings of play.

In the third inning, the speedy Seth Shuket raced out a triple by dunking the ball into the left field corner. Quinn quickly singled him in to give the Red Hawks the 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, the RPI runners participated in one of the weirdest plays I have seen in recent months. Quinn and freshman third baseman Joe Ihnatolya, who had walked, stood on first and second. After Quinn was thrown out at home because of bad base running on Cochran’s grounder, Saint’s catcher threw the ball high over the second baseman’s glove, and it sailed into the outfield. Ihnatolya scored all the way from first base, and Cochran, apparently out of breath, rounded all four bases to give the Red Hawks a 3-0 lead. RPI added four more runs in the top of the fifth on three solid singles by Hughes, Faraone, and Shuket and a monster double by sophomore left fielder Ryan Meron that banged loudly against the center field wall.

The Saints attempted a comeback in the bottom of seventh inning with three runs off fatigued RPI starter Erik Thunell. However, Thunell held tight to seal the victory for the Red Hawks, who won the game 7-4.

The MVP of the first half of the doubleheader was Shuket, who notched two hits, two runs scored, and one RBI.

In the second game of the double dip, the Red Hawks wasted no time getting on the scoreboard with eight runs in just the first two innings off Saints’ starter Mike Damann. Before they could even a scratch a single run off RPI starter Brian Brzek, the Saints batters were facing a deep hole, the effects of which probably led to their poor offensive showing throughout the rest of the game; the Saints never even put together a rally, as all of their hits came in separate innings.

The RPI batters, on the other hand, tacked on seven more runs in the fourth, fifth, and six frames to win the game easily by a score of 15-0.

The strong offense display by RPI unfortunately eclipsed the efforts of senior Brian Brzek, who pitched a gem of a game for his best outing of the year. Brzek allowed just four hits and struck out seven batters in a complete game shutout.

With the three wins, the Red Hawks are now 22-9 and an impressive 10-0 in the UCAA this season.