Castleton, VT - The Castleton State College softball team split a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader with visiting Johnson State, dropping the opener 5-2, and earning a 13-5 win in five innings in the night cap Saturday afternoon.
Game One: Johnson State jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first two innings and never looked back. Starting pitcher, Allie Cunningham put the Badgers on the board with an rbi-double to centerfield that plated Ashley Allegrini in the first. After a Morgan Rogerson single put runners on first and third, Brittany Lumsden drove in Cunnigham with a single to left field. Rogerson later scored on a passed ball, and Lumsden came around on Lauren Wallace's rbi-single to make it 4-0. Cunningham drove in the fifth Badger run with a single in the second inning, plating Julie Gervais who had singled earlier in the inning.
Castleton starting pitcher, Tosha Whittemore was nearly unhittable from that point on, allowing just two walks and one hit over the next five innings to keep the Spartans alive. Castleton was able to break through in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of runs. Bridget Dusha doubled home Sarah Flore who reached on a walk, and Whittemore helped her own cause with an rbi-single that plated Dusha.
Cunningham worked through the remainder of the game unscathed, scattering seven hits over seven innings while walking four and striking out four to earn the win.
Whittemore took the loss, allowing five earned on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Game Two: Starting pitcher Hilary Bemis came through with a pair of fifth inning homeruns to push Castleton to the 13-5 win in the nightcap. After three scoreless innings, Castleton broke through for three in the bottom of the fourth. Bemis singled with one out, and after a pop out Bridget Dusha came up and smacked a two out double to right field putting runners on second and third. Freshman, Shannon Jipner stroked a two-run single to center and after an error extended the inning Heather Alley was able to provide and rbi single to make it 3-0.
Johnson State answered with five runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. After a leadoff walk to Heidi Bellemore, Lauren Wallaced stroked a two-run homerun over the centerfield fence to cut the lead to 3-2. Three straight walks followed by a strikeout, a sacrifice fly and a single made the score 5-3 before Bemis settled down and picked up a strike out to end the inning.
Castleton came back with 10 runs in the bottom of the inning to invoke the 8-run mercy rule win. Lydia McPherson singled and came home on a two-run homerun by Bemis to tie the score. Stephanie Wright stroked a three-run single with the bases loaded later in the inning, followed by an rbi-double from Amanda Gerstenmaier to make it 9-5. Heather Alley singled and with two outs Bemis provided a three-run homerun to make it 12-5. Sarah Flore singled and later scored the final run on Shannon Jipner's single.
Bemis picked up her second win in as many days tossing all five innings and allowing five earned on three hits and five walks while striking out eight.
Castleton will travel to Sage College on Tuesday for a 3:00 pm non-league doubleheader. Johnson State will travel to Skidmore Tuesday for a 3:30 pm non-league doubleheader.
