Box Score
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Senior hurler
Andrew Mondo (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) struck out nine batters over eight innings of work to lead the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team to a 5-1 victory over Mount Saint Mary College on Saturday morning. With the win, the ninth-ranked Engineers conclude their Florida trip with a 6-1 record. The Blue Knights drop to 0-7 overall.
Mondo, a righthander, allowed just one unearned run, while surrendering seven hits. Junior
Mike Cieszko (Stevenson Ranch, CA/William S. Hart) pitched the ninth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced to help seal the Rensselaer victory.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, junior outfielder
Billy Nikolski (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa) put the Engineers ahead after he delivered a two-RBI single in the bottom of the frame, scoring sophomores
Markus Delello (Sidney, NY/Sidney) and
Art Levenson (San Diego, CA/University City). Both players had singled previously off of Mount Saint Mary starter Frank Snyder (Wallkill, NY/Wallkill Senior).
Rensselaer added to its lead in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs for the 5-1 advantage. Leading the way was senior captain
Andrew Krushelnyski (Bloomfield Hills, MI/Brother Rice) who had an RBI single.
In addition to Nikolski and Krushelnyski, who were both 1 for 3, RPI saw senior catcher
Patrick Reardon (Troy, NY/LaSalle Institute) go 2 for 3 at the plate with two singles.
For Mount Saint Mary, Snyder allowed two runs through five innings before giving way to freshman Joe CoFrancesco (Hamden, CT/Notre Dame of West Haven), who surrendered three runs in 2.0 innings. Sophomore Carl Henchey (Coxsackie, NY/Coxsackie-Athens) pitched the eighth inning.
RPI is back in action next weekend when it travels to Montclair State for a pair of games. The Engineers will face the Red Hawks on Saturday (3pm) and Sunday (1pm).
Mount Saint Mary: 0-0-0 -- 1-0-0 -- 0-0-0 - 1 7 1
Rensselaer: 0-0-0 -- 2-0-0 -- 3-0-x - 5 10 3
RPI: Mondo (Win), Cieszko (9th). MSM: Snyder (L/5.0 inn.), CoFrancesco (2.0 inn.), Henchey (8th).