Longmeadow, MA-The Castleton State College softball team earned a split in the North Atlantic Conference opening double header for both Bay Path College and the Spartans. The Wildcats took the first game 5-4, and Castleton needed an extra inning to take the win 4-3 in the nightcap.
Game 1: Allison Lamay went 2-for-4, including a solo homerun to lead the Spartan offense. The Spartans trailed 1-0 until Lamay's fourth inning shot tied the game. Castleton plated two more in the top of the fifth as Laura Rogers, Cassie Koehne and Alicia Zraunig combined to score the runs. Rogers led off with a double, and was scored on Koehne's double. Zraunig then brought Koehne home with and rbi-single to give Castleton a 3-1 lead. The Spartans would tack on an unearned run in the sixth inning to make it 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth.
Bay Path put two on with a single and walk to start the inning, but it appeared Castleton would get out of the jam after two straight outs left the runners at second and third. Senior firstbaseman, Sarah Wright would tie the game with one swing of the bat on a three-run homerun. The Spartans were held scoreless in the top of the seventh, while Bay Path scored the game winner in the bottom of the inning.
Senior, Angie Carpenter took the loss, going the distance allowing nine hits while striking out six.
Game 2: Castleton once again was staked to an early 2-0 lead as the Spartans took advantge of some wildness, turning a hit batsman and walk into two runs on wild pitches in the third inning. Bay Path would take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth, as the Wildcats scored three unearned runs in the frame. The Spartans battled back with an unearned run of their own in top of the seventh, and after shutting the Wildcats down in the bottom of the inning, plated the winning run in the eighth.
Freshman, Tosha Whittemore picked up her first collegiate win, going the distance allowing five hits, while striking out nine.
The Spartans return to action on Wednesday, April 2 when they travel to Middlebury College for a 3:00 pm non-conference double header.
