Courtesy of: Rensselaer Sports Information
TROY, N.Y. - Behind big homeruns from junior Sara Heller and senior Jen Bach, the Rensselaer softball team swept a doubleheader from Castleton at Doris Robison Field. The Engineers battled back in both games, grabbing a 4-3 victory in the opener, and a 13-5 win in five innings of game two. RPI is now 10-4 on the season, while the Spartans drop to 4-8 overall.
Trailing by a run (3-2) heading into the sixth inning, Bach (Landsdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy Academy) reached second base on an error with no outs. Heller (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland), the next batter, then gave the Engineers the lead when she drove a line drive home run over the fence for her second round-tripper of the season.
Both teams scored single runs in the first inning before Castleton State plated two in the third for a 3-1 lead. Senior Stephanie Wright (Guilford, VT/Brattleboro Union) had the big blow in the frame for the visitors, knocking in both runs with a double down the leftfield line. RPI got one run back in its half of the inning when freshman #Jen Shields# (North Reading, MA/North Reading) scored an unearned run with two outs.
Freshman Charlene Osmanski (Elmhurst, IL/York) earned the win in relief for Rensselaer, pitching 4.0 innings of three-hit ball. She struck out four and did not walk anyone. Sophomore Taylor Lively (Greenfield, MA/Greenfield) took the loss for the Spartans, allowing four runs (2 earned) on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
In game two, the Spartans struck quickly in the top of the first inning as junior Shannon Jipner (Bristol, VT/Mount Anthony Union) homered over the left field wall to bring in three runs and give the visitors a 4-0 lead.
RPI answered in the bottom half of the frame, pulling the score to 4-3 and the Engineers tied things up in the latter portion of the third inning as Bach singled to left field and made it to second on an error to bring home sophomore Gillian McCarthy (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington).
Knotted at 4-all, it was Bach who broke open the game in the bottom of the fourth inning as she belted her ninth homerun of the season over the left field wall to bring in three runs and give the Engineers a 9-4 advantage.
Castleton plated a run in the top of the fifth as Jipner singled up the middle to drive in Tori Fearon (Colchester, CT/Bacon Academy), but Rensselaer sealed the eight-run mercy rule win in the bottom of the inning.
With runners on first and second, junior Kelly Erkert (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) sent a bunt toward the pitcher and reached to load the bases. A walk to Shields made it a 10-5 lead and McCarthy gave RPI the win with one swing as she doubled to right centerfield and drive in three runs.
Bach, who went 3 for 3 at the plate with four runs batted in and two runs scored, also picked up the win in the circle. She allowed five runs on six hits over 5.0 innings for her sixth complete game of the season. Bach also struck out six batters.
Spartan sophomore Emily Sweeney (Weare, NH/John Stark Regional) shouldered the loss, surrendering 13 runs (9 earned) on 13 hits in 4.0 innings.
Castleton returns to action on April 6 with a twinbill at home against NAC-rival Lyndon State (3:30pm).
