AUBURN, N.Y. - Four players recorded multiple hits, but the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) baseball fell to No. 1 SUNY Cortland, 7-5, in NCAA Regional action at Falcon Park. With the win, the Red Dragons improve to 39-4 overall and advance the Championship Round of the tournament. The Engineers, who are now 28-16, must play in an elimination game tomorrow at 1pm.

Rensselaer broke onto the scoreboard first, plating a run in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Senior Tyler Listing (West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park) singled with one out, before classmate Jared Jensen (Kingston, NY/Kingston) ripped a base hit to right, putting runners on the corners. Fellow senior Tim LeSuer (Oak View, CA/Nordoff) followed with a sacrifice fly to center for a 1-0 lead.

The Red Dragons drew even with a run in the 4th, before going ahead with one more in the top of the 5th. A lead-off triple by senior Mark DeMilio (Valhalla, NY/Valhalla) was followed by an RBI-single off the bat of sophomore Nick Hart (Fredonia, NY/Fredonia), to make it 2-1.

RPI answered with a four-run bottom of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. Sophomore Matt Lawrence (Chicago, IL/University of Chicago High School) looped a single to center to kick off the frame. Junior catcher Chris Holomakoff (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon) then reached on a bunt single up the first base line. A sac bunt and a strikeout left runners on second and third with two outs, but the next four batters reached, including Jensen, who hammered the first pitch he saw to the gap in right center, plating two. LeSuer was hit by a pitch in front of senior shortstop Nick Palmiero (Patterson, NY/Carmel), who hit a soft line drive to right, scoring Jensen. Sophomore Thomas Desmond (Alamo, CA/De LaSalle) capped the rally with another run-scoring single.

After a scoreless 5th, the Red Dragons mounted a four-run rally of their own in the 7th, to re-take the lead (6-5). Demilio was hit by a pitch with one away, before Hart reached on an error. Junior Conor Ziemendorf (Penfield, NY/Webster Schroeder) brought Cortland within 5-3 when he singled through the right side of the infield. Senior shortstop Anthony Simon (Suffern, NY/Don Bosco Prep) backed that up with a two-run double off the fense in left to tie the game at 5-5. A wild pitch and a walk put runners on the corners with two outs, but Cortland ran a double-steal that brought home the go-ahead run.

The Red Dragons added an insurance run in the top of the 9th and righthanded relief pitcher Travis Laitar (Fergus, ON/Centre Wellington) threw 2.0 perfect innings for his fourth save of the season. Starter Alex Weingarten (East Rockaway, NY/Lynbrook) allowed five runs on 10 hits in 7.0 to pick up the win. RPI senior Sean Conroy (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) gave up six runs (2 earned) on 10 hits in 7.0 and was saddled with the loss.

Jensen finished 2 for 3 with a triple, a run scored and two runs batted in. Palmiero and Desmond were both 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Listing went 2 for 4 with a run. Hart, Ziemendorf and senior Vinny Bomasuto (Dunkirk, NY/Dunkirk) all had two hits for the Red Dragons.