TROY, NY. –   Westfield State first baseman Sean Moorhouse bombed a pair of home runs, and Brett Dooley added another blast, but Westfield State fell to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 17-6 in the Owls season opener on Wednesday afternoon.

Moorhouse popped a 2-run shot in the fourth inning and added a solo shot in the eighth.  Dooley had an opposite field solo shot in the fifth inning.

Steve Saucier and Nick Martin each added a pair of hits for Westfield. 

On a planned staff day for the Owls pitchers, it was a day of uneven performances. Matt Laverdure took the loss, while Shane Bogli, Billy Casey, Vincenzo Camara and Patrick Jordan all tossed shutout innings.

For RPI, George Ranier rapped out 4 hits and drove in three runs, and Jake Defayette finished with three hits, including two triples and five RBI.

Westfield (0-1) will be back in action on Saturday, as they open their Spring Break trip to Florida with a game against Penn State-Abington at historic Lee Thomas Stadium in Leesburg.