TROY, N.Y. - The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) baseball team built a six-run lead before holding off Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 10-8, in the opening game of the Liberty League Tournament for both schools. With the win, the Tigers improve to 22-13 overall, while the Engineers drop to 22-15. 

RIT, which received 7.1 innings from starting pitcher Rory Little (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake), opened the scoring with a two-run top of the first inning. Four straight singles after one was away produced the pair with sophomore Will Gorman (Nassua, NY/Columbia) capping the rally with a two-RBI single to right.

The Tigers made it 3-0 in the top of the third, when junior catcher Brian Battaglia (Silver Springs, MD/James Hubert Blake) doubled home senior CJ Bolorin (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta).

Senior Nick Palmiero (Patterson, NY/Carmel) helped the hosts pull two back in the bottom of the inning, following up a run-scoring single by classmate Tim LeSuer (Oak View, CA/Nordoff) with one of his own.

RIT then pushed its lead back to three with singles runs in the fourth and fifth innings. 

A three-run top of the seventh gave the visitors an 8-2 cushion, manufacturing a pair on a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly, before taking advantage of a Rensselaer error.

Sophomore Thomas Desmond (Alamo, CA/De LaSalle) reached on a bases-loaded infield single in the bottom of the inning to draw within 8-3.

The Engineers then put together a five-run eighth on four hits and three walks. With one out in the inning, Little issued free passes to sophomore Justin Valente (West Palm Beach, FL/Averill Park) and senior Shane Matthews (Ballston Spa, NY/Saratoga Catholic). After falling behind 2-0 to senior Tyler Listing (West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park), Little was lifted for junior lefthander Brian Sheridan (Trumansburg, NY/Trumansburg), who promptly walked Listing, before giving up back-to-back doubles to senior Jared Jensen (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and LeSuer, to make it 8-7.

After a strikeout, Desmond doubled to tie the game at 8-8. Sophomore Jeff Sitarski (The Woodlands, TX/The Woodlands) then looped a single to right, but Desmond was thrown out at the plate on a strong throw from RIT rightfielder Chris Barr (North Wales, PA/North Penn).

RIT took advantage of three RPI errors in the top of the ninth to plate two runs on just one hit. The Engineers then went down in order in the bottom half against junior righthander Brandon Cohall (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Walter Panas). He earned the win on the hill, giving up just two hits in 1.2 innings.

Sophomore Adam Aponte (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) took the loss, allowing two unearned runs on one hit in 1.0 inning. Starter Greg Echeverria (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) surrendered five runs on 11 hits in 5.0 innings.

The Engineers are back in action tomorrow morning against the University of Rochester in the first elimination game of the day (9:30am). RIT takes on Clarkson University (1pm).