Glens Falls, NY-Senior second baseman, Brad Polcare went 10-for-13 with two homeruns, a triple and two doubles, drove in eight runs and scored eight more to lead Castleton State College to a pair of North Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship wins over Husson College at East Field in Glens Falls, New York.

The Spartans, who had lost to Husson 5-3 in the opening round of the double elimination tournament, needed to beat the Eagles twice and they did just that, winning the first game 10-6 and taking the second 22-2. With the win Castleton improves to 22-18 overall and earns the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III New England Regionals; date, time and opponent to be announced.

Game One: Polcare reached base safely in all six plate appearances to lead the Spartans to the 10-6 win. Polcare was 5-for-6 with a double, three runs and three RBI as Castleton scored 10 runs on 16 hits to force the decisive game seven.

The Spartans took a 6-1 lead into the sixth inning but Husson put together a five-run inning to pull even and chase Castleton starter, Ken Cook. Cook hit Chris MaGuire with a pitch to start the inning, then walked Logan York. After a Balk put runners on second and third, Cook forced Corey Cushing and Brian McGinley into rbi-ground outs to make it 6-3 and empty the bases. Another hit-batsman and walk would chase Cook, but Husson was not finished. Jeremy Gilcris relieved and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, then gave up a bases-clearing double to left-centerfield to tie the game. Cook ended the day with a no-decision, pitching five-and-two-thirds innings allowing five earned on four hits and six walks while striking out five.

Castleton plated two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the win and advance to the deciding game. Lauck Blake got the rally started in the eight with a one-out walk, chasing Husson starter, Ryan Arsenault. Polcare followed with a single, putting runners on second and third. Kyle Brooks flied out to right field, with Blake advancing to third on the play. Dan Conley and Chris Ragis each followed with rbi-singles to give the Spartans all they would need for the win.

Rob Turner picked up the win for Castleton, tossing two-and-two-thirds innings of no-hit relief. Brooks joined Polcare with a multi-hit afternoon, going 3-for-6 with three RBI. NAC Rookie of the Year, Dan Conley broke out of an 0-for-11 slump with a pair of hits and the game-winning RBI.

Arsenault was saddled with the loss for Husson, going seven-and-one-third and allowing seven earned runs on 12 hits and three walks, while striking out six. Arthers was 2-for-4 to lead the Eagle offense, while Tom Crews added one hit and one RBI.

Game Two: The Castleton offense exploded for 27 hits in the final game of the championship, and plated 11 runs in the decisive sixth inning.

Polcare laced the first pitch he saw into the stands in right field to lead the game off for Castleton, and stake the Spartans to a 1-0 lead. The Spartans tacked on five runs in the bottom of the second, as Garrett Bissonnette, Anthony DiPietrantonio, Polcare, Kyle Brooks and Chris Ragis each doubled.  Castleton tacked on one more run on doubles by Ragis and Bissonnette, before grabbing four more runs in the fifth. Polcare struck for his second homerun, this one a two-run shot to centerfield.

During the 11-run sixth inning, Castleton sent 15 men to the plate and collected 11 hits, including an rbi-triple for Polcare which gave him 'the cycle' on the game with two homeruns, a triple, double and single. Leftfield, Lauck Blake also smacked a two-run triple as the Spartans pulled away.

The Eagles got two back from Castleton in the top of the eighth inning on solo homeruns from Dennis Graham and Chris MaGuire to avoid the shut-out.

Rob Turner started and pitched four innings of scoreless baseball, scattering five hits while striking out two. Freshman, Mitch Thresher came on and pitched the final five innings, earning the win and allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three. Everyone in the Spartan lineup had at least one hit, with all but two batters collecting multiple hits. After Polcare's five-hit, five-RBI, five-run performance it was Bissonnetted with five hits including two doubles, four RBI and two runs scored. Dan Conley and Chris Ragis each collected four hits, while Lauck Blake reached base five times on two hits and three walks to go along with two RBI and four runs scored. Blake finished the tournament with a hefty .611 (11-for-18) batting average and an on base percentage of .708 for the five games.

Ethan Guerette, Graham and Jeff Miller each had two hits for the Eagles. Husson ends its season at 16-23 overall.

2008 North Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team

Elms College        
Joe Ferry
Nick Mackowiak

Thomas College
Jared Fieldsend
Andrew Martin
Husson College
Ethan Guerette
Ryan Arsenault
Dennis Graham

Castleton
Rob Turner
Chris Ragis
Most Valuable Player: Brad Polcare