BALTIMORE, Md. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team shut out Rutgers-Camden 10-0 to advance to the regional final tomorrow against host Johns Hopkins University.
After a pitchers' duel in the first four innings, the Engineers put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings.
RPI starter Mike Nelson carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth, as the right-hander eventually surrendered just three hits in seven innings of work.
The first two times through the lineup were quiet for the Engineers, however a fifth-inning leadoff triple by Aidan Hicks woke up the RPI bats.
Hicks was the first run of the game, as he touched home on a sac fly by Jon Primerano one batter latter. The Engineers added more following a base hit by Ian Oehlschlaeger, a walk by Ayush Krishnappa, and an RBI single by Michael Lebenson that plated Oehlschlaeger.
RPI expanded the margin to 5-0 after starting the sixth inning with three consecutive extra base hits. Julian Scarpa started the frame with a solo home run to deep left center and Walker Abdallah and Robbie Reddington would lace back-to-back doubles to right field. Oehlschlaeger drove in Reddington with a sac fly in the fifth as well.
Krishnappa and Lebenson both roped two-run doubles in the eighth and Oehlschlaeger capped a 3-for-4 night with another RBI single in the ninth. Chotiner matched Oehlschlaeger with three hits, and Hicks and Scarpa recorded two hits each in the win.
The victory sends RPI to Sunday, May 18's regional final, which will see the Engineers match up against Johns Hopkins, the #1 nationally ranked team in DIII. Game one of the championship tilt is set for 11:00 am, with a second contest to follow at 2:30 pm if RPI wins the first game.