Plymouth, NH - The Castleton State College softball team was swept by Plymouth State University in a non-conference softball double header Friday afternoon. The Spartans fell 8-0 in six innings in the opener and dropped the night cap 5-1. The two-game sweep gives the Panthers a 20-13 overall record heading into the final games of the regular season, while Castleton is now 13-13.
Game One: Just two Spartans reached base all game, both on Plymouth State errors as junior Jenna George tossed a no-hitter to earn the win. George was very efficient, did not walk a batter and struck out three.
The Panthers slowly pulled away from the Spartans in the opener. Freshman Heather Blase singled home a run in the first inning, and sophomores Andrea Pydynkowski and Melissa Caiazzo added RBI singles to highlight a three-run third inning. Freshman Jen Skilton knocked in another run for PSU in the fifth inning, and Caiazzo's second double of the game in the sixth inning knocked in two and ended the game on the mercy rule.
Game Two: The four Panther seniors, playing their final home game on Senior Day, led the team to a 5-1 victory in the nightcap and a sweep of the twinbill. Pitcher Courtney MacFarland recorded the victory with a complete-game five-hitter, allowing just one run and striking out nine batters; Leanne Barry and Michelle Kelly had two hits apiece, and Heather Bartolo hit a two-run home run, the first of her 119-game career.
After four scoreless innings, the Spartans got on the board in the top of the fifth after a pair of singles by freshman Shannon Jipner and sophomore Tosha Whittemore and an infield groundout by sophomore Sarah Flore.
Plymouth State came right back with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Pydynkowski singled home a run, junior Sammi Romano brought home two more with a double to left, and Bartolo followed with a two-run homer. That was plenty for MacFarland, who shut down the Spartans the rest of the way to improve her record to 11-6.
Plymouth State wraps up the regular season Saturday at 2:30 p.m. with a Little East Conference doubleheader at UMass Boston. Castleton continues its weekend road trip, moving on to Maine to face Thomas College on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and UMaine Farmington Sunday at 12 noon.
