Baseball drops 9-8 extra inning affair to RPI

Troy, NY- The RPI baseball team scored a pair of runs in the ninth to send the game to extras and then completed the rally in the tenth as the Engineers outlasted the MCLA Trailblazers 9-8 this afternoon in non league play.  RPI moves to 7-5 overall while MCLA dips to 6-7.

MCLA grabbed an early 1-0 lead in this one as Austin Rachiele led off the game with a triple and came around to score in the first.  RPI would get to MCLA starter James Sneyd for four runs in the second to take a 4-1 lead before the MCLA offense got going.

The Trailblazers would score two in the third inning as Randy Adams and Rob Correia posted RBI's to bring the visitors to within one at 4-3.  RPI tacked on another in the bottom of the frame before MCLA answered in the fifth to make it 5-4 in favor of the Engineers. 

MCLA would then break out for a four run uprising in the seventh inning to take a 8-5 lead.  Adams singled home a run to start things off and when Isaiah Mack and Ty Mazzeo followed suit, the Trailblazers had the lead. 

RPI began their rally in the seventh as a leadoff home run got them within two runs setting the stage for the ninth inning heroics.

Trailing 8-6 in the ninth, RPI quickly got a run back after a leadoff double and a single.  That summoned the MCLA bullpen and Aidan Brett.  He would walk the first batter he saw and then the hosts moved up a pair of bases on a double steal.  An infield single with two outs would tie things up at 8-8 and the teams headed to extras.

MCLA wasted a leadoff walk in the tenth while RPI did not.  Following a walk and an MCLA miscue, runners were at first and second without an out.  RPI's Joe Curci would rip an RBI single into center field off reliever Nathan Kumm and the Engineers walked off with the 9-8 win.

RPI mustered 12 hits in the contest led by Hudson Livesey's 3-4 day at the plate.  He drove in two and scored three times.  The RPI pen was also effective going the final 3.2 innings and allowing just four hits and no runs.

MCLA was led by Rachiele's 3-5 afternoon.  He scored three times as well.  Mack, Mazzeo, and Robinson Guerrero-Baez each ended with a pair of hits.  Adams ended with just one hit but drove in two runs.

The Trailblazers used five pitchers in the contest.  Sneyd went the first three innings while Bryan Rosario tossed four solid frames of his own.  Brett took the loss for MCLA.

MCLA is back in action on Saturday when they head back to Troy to battle Sage in a twinbill.