TROY, N.Y. – Sophomore Rylan Wade closed the day for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team with a statement, tossing five no-hit innings in a 3-0 victory in Game two of a doubleheader. The Engineers split the doubleheader with the Colby College Mules as RPI fell just short in Game 1 by a 9-8 final. RPI now moves to 4-3-1 overall on the season.

Game 1
After a scoreless first inning, Colby tossed three runs on the board in the second with a pair of RBI singles from Noah Reichman and Clint Flippo. RBI also scored their first run in the bottom of the second inning, with Ayush Krishnappa knocking an RBI double to left field to make it 3-1 Colby.

Both sides also scored in the fourth inning, as Colby extended their lead out to 5-1 after Flippo tripled to the right center gap, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. But, RPI fought back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs to tie the game at 5-5. Joey Saia hit his first home run of the season on a line drive over the right field fence for a two-run homer before Philip Li lashed an RBI double to the left center field gap to tie the game at 5-5.

The Mules took back the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth, highlighted by a Cole Palmeri home run over the right center fence to push the Mules lead to 7-5. However, Li cashed in another RBI with a single to center to score another RPI run to pull the Engineers back within a run, 7-6 going into the final third of the game.

The Mules scored another two key runs in the eighth to pull out to a three-run lead before RPI fought back with a pair of runs in the eighth and ninth innings. With life in the bottom of the ninth and the tying run at second base after a stolen base from Joey Saia, a groundout ended the ballgame.

Saia finished the game with three hits, while Li collected two hits and three RBI. For Colby, Patrick McConnell had three hits, while Flippo, Charlie Furlong, and Marcus Forrester each had two.

Game 2
The second game of the day belonged to Wade, as he kept the Mules at bay through the game's five innings before it was called due to darkness.

Wade struck out five while facing just two batters over the minimum, surrendering just two walks to Colby's Drew Miller and Patrick McConnell.

Saia opened RPI's scoring right off in the bottom of the first, as he smacked a double to the right center field fence. The two-bagger scored both Aidan Hicks and Martin Marintchev to put RPI up 2-0.

George Rainer added to the lead, bringing home Li the following inning with an RPI single that dropped into right field. The single gave RPI a 3-0 lead through two innings. Wade did the rest, as he kept Colby off the board the rest of the way.

Colb's Julian Erro was solid, scattering five hits and giving up three runs – all earned – while striking out six in four innings of work.

The Engineers return to action tomorrow, Sunday, March 12 back at Robison Field when they play host to Bates College in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.