ORLANDO, Fla. – Rose-Hulman concluded the Russ Matt Invitational with a 5-1 record, as they dropped to the Allegheny Gators by a score of 9-6.
 
The Gators controlled the game through the first seven innings of action as they outscored Rose-Hulman 7-0. The team scored two runs in both the third, fifth, and sixth innings, while adding one run at the top of the fourth.
 
Freshman Matthew Furtado recorded Rose-Hulman's first double of the game in the seventh on a hit to left field.
 
With one out at the bottom of the eighth, junior Jackson Summers recorded his team-leading third hit of the game as he hit a line drive single to center field. Freshman Michael Hines would add a line drive single of his own to right field, which loaded the bases for RHIT.
 
During the next at bat, Connor O'Connell recorded a two RBI double to deep right center field, as sophomore Noah Rasmussen and Summers scored to put Rose-Hulman on the board. Sophomore Jackson Harms followed that up with a single to left field, where he picked up an RBI, bringing Hines home. Senior Mason Rasmussen closed out the Fightin' Engineers' four-run inning as he hit an RBI single up the middle, where O'Connell's run cut the lead to 7-4.
 
Allegheny would respond with two runs at the top of the ninth, as they took advantage of a Rose-Hulman error to extend the lead to 9-4.
 
Sophomore Joe Nevle led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to shortstop, beating out the throw. Faced with a 2-2 count, sophomore TJ Pipkins smacked the first home run of his collegiate career, as his hit sailed over the right field wall to make it a 9-6 game.
 
The Gators closed out the game by forcing three consecutive outs, as Rose-Hulman's improbable comeback effort just came up short.
 
The Fightin' Engineers are set to face Denison in their first home game of the season on Saturday, March 7, at 12 and 3 PM. There is potential for this double header to be moved to Sunday, March 8, due to weather conditions.