TROY, N.Y. – Powered by a five-run effort in the middle innings and a solid complete game outing by senior hurler Mike Cieszko, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball team defeated St. Lawrence University, 5-2, in the second game of the Liberty League Tournament at Robison Field. With the victory, the Engineers improve to 24-14, while the Saints slip to 18-20.

Rensselaer, the top-seed, advances into the winners' bracket and faces third-seeded Clarkson on Saturday at 1pm. The Golden Knights picked up a 2-1 win over second-seeded Skidmore in game one. St. Lawrence, the fourth seed, plays the Thoroughbreds in the 9:30am elimination game.

After a quiet first two innings, the Saints struck first as second baseman Bryan Palermo's (Jamesport, NY/Riverhead) single to center drove home Ethan Braddock (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) for the early advantage.

The Engineers tried to get things going, but could not until the bottom of the fourth when they pushed three runs across to grab a 3-1 advantage. Sophomore Jonny Rio (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) started the action with a bloop single into short right field. A sharp single past the second baseman by Tanner Boucher (Keene, NH/Keene) followed and designated hitter Chuck Erickson (Mansfield, MA/Mansfield) drove in RPI's first run following a throwing error.

A rocketed single to center field by sophomore Kevin Prosicki (Whippany, NJ/Whippany Park) pushed two more runs across before the inning closed as he was caught trying to take second.

Cieszko (Stevenson Ranch, CA/William S. Hart) settled in following the two-run advantage, allowing just one hit in the top of the fifth. RPI struck once again in its half of the fifth as juniors Kyle Kopacz (Chatham, NJ/Chatham) and Kyle LaVigne (Ashland, MA/Ashland) both came across on a single up the middle by Rio.

The Saints threatened in the top of the eighth and pushed across a run with one out, but St. Lawrence would not get any closer as Cieszko pitched lights out over the final inning to finish the complete game effort with seven strikeouts and just two runs on eight hits.

At the plate, Prosicki was 2 for 3 with two runs batted in for RPI, while Rio was 2 for 4 with a run scored and two RBI.

For St. Lawrence, senior Chris Cook (Sunderland, MA/Williston-North Hampton) shouldered the loss, surrendering five runs on 10 hits over 8.0 innings pitched. He also struck out six and walked just one. Offensively, the Saints saw sophomore Carter Franz (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) lead the way, going 3 for 3 with a run scored.