TROY, N.Y. – Senior Sarah Harms threw a complete game shutout to lead the top-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) softball team to a mercy rule-shortened 8-0 victory over fourth-seeded Union College on Thursday in the opening game of the 2018 Liberty League Tournament at Robison Field. With the win, the Engineers improve to 24-9, while the Dutchwomen drop to 8-19.

Rensselaer advances to face second-seeded Ithaca College, who defeated third-seeded University of Rochester, in Friday morning's 10am game. Union and Rochester square off in the first elimination game of the day at 12:30pm.

RPI staked Harms (Wilsonville, OR/Wilsonville) to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, after she set the Dutchwomen down in order in the top half. Senior Victoria Greco (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) singled to center with one out, before sophomore Cam Caswell (Prospect, CT/Woodland Regional) walked. Senior Christine White (Acushnet, MA/Tabor Academy) followed with an RBI-single up the middle and moved to second on the throw home. Sophomore Allie Hunt (Pittsfield, MA/Pittsfield) lifted a sacrifice fly to left that was handled in foul territory, scoring Caswell.

The Engineers added a third run in the third inning, thanks to an infield single by Caswell and a Union throwing error. Classmate Veronica DeStefano (Emerson, NJ/Emerson) was able to score all the way from second base on the play for a 3-0 advantage.

Union threatened in the top of the fifth, when senior Nikki Ditizio (Oceanside, NY/Kellenberg Memorial) singled with down in the frame. Freshman Stuart Buxton (Melbourne, FL/Bellevue) followed with a base hit up the middle, putting two aboard, but the next batter hit into a double play to the end the inning. Harms deflected a ground ball to Greco at second, who tagged Buxton and threw to first for the 1-4-3 play.

DeStefano led off the home half of the fifth with one of her two doubles on the afternoon, before Greco reached on a bunt single and stole second. Caswell then struck out, but DeStefano ran home on the play and scored. Greco followed with a steal of home to give RPI a 5-0 advantage through five innings.

After The Dutchwomen went down quietly in the top of the sixth, Rensselaer plated three runs in the sixth to bring the contest to its conclusion. The inning was highlighted by a run-scoring infield single from Greco and a two-run rip up the middle by Caswell.

Harms (16-5) allowed five hits (all singles) over 6.0 innings for her fifth shutout of the year. She stuck out three and did not walk a batter. Makayla Koehler (Brewster, NY/Brewster) suffered the loss for Union, allowing five runs (4 earned) on eight hits over 4.1 innings of work.