TROY, NY – The RIT baseball team (20-11, 13-6 Liberty League) dropped a pair of pitchers duels to Liberty League foe Rensselaer (21-13, 17-5 Liberty League) from Robson Field on a picturesque Friday afternoon. In game one, RIT lost a heart breaker, 3-2, and fell in game two, 4-1.
 
In game one, the Engineers won the game on a bases loaded walk off single by Nick Palmiero with one out. Shane Matthews led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. After Rory Little (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) struck out Tyler Listing, Jared Jensen and Tim LeSeur walked intentionally to load the bases with one out, setting the stage for Palmiero's heroics.
 
Rensselaer got on the board right away in the bottom of the first inning, as Listing was hit by a pitch leading off, moved to second on a passed ball, went over to third on a ground out and also scored on a ground out by LeSeur.
 
RIT would respond with a pair of unearned runs off of Jensen in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Taylor Hogan (Rochester, NY/Brighton) led off by reaching on an error. Phil Sammon (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) singled to left field and both runners advanced on an error by the outfielder, giving the Tigers runners on second and third with one out. Mike Myers (Hamlin, NY/Brockport) would drive in Hogan with a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 1-1. After a strikeout and infield single by Chris Barr (North Wales, PA/North Penn ), Brett Kajganich (North Royalton, OH/Holy Name) would drive in Sammon with a single to give RIT its first lead of the game.
 
Little, who cruised along after the opening inning, did not allow a hit until a one-out single by Nick Annunziata with one out in the fifth. In the sixth inning however, Jensen would blast a 3-1 pitch over the right field fence for a solo homer, tying the game at 2-2.
 
From there, both pitchers would battle into extra innings, where Rensselaer would come out on top.
 
Jensen was not only the star at the plate, but on the mound as well, allowing just five hits, while striking out six batters in the eight inning complete game for his fifth win of the season.
 
Little was strong on the mound for RIT, but suffered his first loss of the season, allowing four runs and a pair of unearned runs, while striking out seven and walking three (two intentionally) in 7 1/3 innings.
 
Sammon was 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Tigers.

In game two, Rensselaer scored twice in the third inning to break to a scoreless tie and two more times in the fifth inning to go up 4-0.
 
RIT would score its lone run in the top of sixth inning, as CJ Bolorin (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) doubled, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch, as Will Gorman (Nassau, NY/Columbia) walked.

Brandon Cohall (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas) took the loss for RIT, allowing six hits and four runs, while walking three and striking out three batters in a 71-pitch complete-game effort.
 
Rensselaer hurler Greg Echeverria was excellent on the mound, allowing just six hits and the one run, while walking two and striking out seven Tigers for the win. Jensen was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in offensively for the Engineers. Leseur drove in a pair of runs in the win.
 
Zabel was 2-for-3 for the Tigers in the loss.
 
Rensselaer leads the all-time series between the two schools, 53-17. For the moment, Rensselaer moves into first place in the Liberty League standings, with RIT dropping to fourth. The Liberty League regular season ends on Sunday, with the tournament getting underway on Thursday, May 7 at the highest seed.

The Tigers and Engineers conclude the weekend series on Saturday at 12 p.m. with plenty to still be decided.