The weather could not have been nicer for the RPI baseball team’s home opener. Last Wednesday, RPI faced off against the Oneonta State Red Dragons in a game full of spectacular plays which led to a 5-2 win for the Red Hawks.
The first inning went quickly, with third baseman Joe Ihnatoyla getting the inning’s only hit, a double. Unfortunately, he was stranded on second as first baseman Dan Quinn struck out to end the inning.
The Red Dragons took the lead in the top of the second. Greg Sulz drove in Jesse Torchia with a single up the middle. RPI answered right back in the bottom of the inning with a Brian Marine homer. The ball bounced off the scoreboard and back into play, but the umpire ruled the ball a homerun since it would have gone over the fence.
The Red Hawks continued scoring in the bottom of the third. Ihnatoyla drove in Mike Passante and Quinn hit a two-run home run to put Rensselaer up 4-1.
Pitcher Ryan Marsh faced only two batters in the bottom of the fourth before getting relieved by Tom Locke. Marsh pitched three innings, allowing seven hits and five runs. Ryan Meron tallied RPI’s last run of the game when Marc Shumsker hit into a fielder’s choice.
Oneonta cut the lead by one in the fifth inning. Brandon Galutz got a single to allow Brent Tortarella to score.
The last three innings saw lots of defense, as both teams kept each other from scoring. Passante had a stunning diving catch to get the second out in the top of the sixth, which was met by admiration by the fans, even those rooting for Oneonta. Passante also had a great sliding catch in the bottom of the ninth.
RPI’s Chris Sullivan pitched a complete game, allowing only two runs on four hits and striking out four. Ihnatoyla had a very productive game as well, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and scoring a run.
RPI journeyed to Montclair, N.J. to take on Montclair State University, also nicknamed the Red Hawks. The teams played three games—one Saturday and a doubleheader Sunday—and Rensselaer managed to win both games Sunday after losing Saturday.
Nothing seemed to work for RPI Saturday, and Montclair took the game 6-0. In the game, MSU’s Jeff Gogal allowed only five hits and struck out 11. Luke Calzone took the loss for RPI.
RPI came back Sunday to win 7-5 and 9-6. In the first game of the day, RPI started quickly with Passante and Meron scoring in the first. MSU answered back with two runs of their own, scored by Mike Halligan and Danny Rodriguez.
Passante, Quinn, and Meron each tallied a run in the second to secure a 5-2 lead.
The scoring continued in the sixth inning as Peter Neylan crossed the plate for RPI.
RPI scored one more run in the seventh. Ihnatoyla scored on a Rickert sacrifice fly to left field.
RPI’s Charles Yarnold was relieved by Ian Titcomb to start the bottom of the seventh. Yarnold allowed only two runs on six hits and struck out eight. Titcomb allowed two MSU players to score in the inning, and Montclair closed the gap to three.
Brian Rickert came in to pitch for Max Miller—who only faced four batters—during the eighth inning, allowing only one hit and striking out one in 1.2 innings. Mike Weiss scored for Montclair, but Rickert held on for the save. Yarnold got the win for RPI, and Shawn Ellerson of Montclair took the loss.
In the second game, Montclair jumped out to an early lead with Ethan Boyd and P.J. Baccarella both scoring.
Rensselaer tied the game in the top of the second as Quinn and Cochran scored after they both got walked by pitcher Lou Wieben. Rodriguez put Montclair up by one in the bottom of the inning on a Boyd hit.
In the fourth, Jairo Mendez came in to pitch for Wieben after he put runners on first and second. Shumsker scored on a wild pitch, and Ihnatoyla doubled to right center field to get Meron and Passante home. Montclair answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom half. Halligan, Nate Kopp, and Rodriguez tallied runs to put MSU back into the lead, 6-5.
RPI’s offense went on a tear in the fifth, scoring four more runs. Cochran, Marine, Shumsker, and Jason Pollard scored runs as RPI took the lead by three.
Miller came in to pitch for Brian Brzek in the bottom of the fifth inning. He kept Montclair scoreless for two innings and Rickert finished the job by keeping MSU off the scoreboard in the last two innings.
Miller had the win for RPI, and Rickert got his third save of the season. Shumsker had a good game for Rensselaer, going 2-for-2 with two RBI and scoring a run.
Rickert was named UCAA Pitcher of the Week for his two saves this weekend. His play helped elevate the team to a 9-6 record.
RPI’s schedule is full in the coming week, with seven games. The team is starting a 15-game homestand today against Western New England College at 3:30 pm. Saturday at 1 pm Rensselaer will be facing Ithaca in a doubleheader. Sunday will feature a doubleheader against RIT at 1 pm, and Tuesday will showcase a doubleheader against Castelton St. at 2 pm.
