Johnson, VT –Johnson State College and Castleton State College split a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) softball doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Minaert Field in Johnson.  In game one it was Castleton taking a 6-0 decision behind a dazzling performance and one-hitter by senior Hilary Bemis.  In game two the game was tied 4-4 entering the seventh until Castleton scored a pair of runs in the top half but Johnson rallied for three in the bottom to earn a scrappy 7-6 victory.   Johnson moves to 11-9 overall and the season and 4-6 in the NAC while Castleton is now 15-18 overall and 7-7 in the NAC.

In game one it was a dominating performance by Castleton senior pitcher Hilary Bemis (Crown Point, N.Y.) that was the story as the right-hander allowed only one hit, a lead single in the bottom of the sixth by Johnson's Maria Lovelette (Berkshire, Vt./Enosburg), while striking out 10 batters and walking none.  Bemis would go 2-for-4 from the plate with an RBI while Abbey Hewes (Salt Lake City, Utah) also went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a runs scored.  Shannon Jipner (Bristol, Vt.) would blast a home run en route to a 2-run, 2-RBI game.

Johnson's Meagan Russ (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) would take the loss pitching all seven innings surrendering 10 hits and four earned runs while striking out one.

In the nightcap Castleton would score three first inning runs to put the Badgers and senior pitcher Julie Gervais (Enosburg Falls, Vt./Enosburg) in an early hole.  JSC would fight back with two runs in the second and run in the third to tie the game and took the lead in the fourth 4-3.

Gervais wiggled out of tough situations all day and quieted the Spartans run total until the top of the fifth inning when they pushed across the tying run to make it 4-4. 

After a scoreless fifth the visitors put a pair of runners on with two outs when a pop fly fell out of the reach and right in between the Johnson shortstop, second baseman, and centerfielder as they converged and resulted in a 6-4 Castleton lead.

The Badgers would not be denied though as Russ bunted her way on to start the rally.  After another baserunner reached Gervais would come up with two on and lace a double down the leftfield line to score Russ and move Kayla Golfin (Castleton, Vt./Fair Haven) to third.  Lovelette would then single to tie the game and move Gervais, the winning run to third.  Still with nobody out freshman Tanya Randall (Fryeburg, Maine/Fryeburg) drove the ball hard to left and as the ball glanced of the Castleton leftfielder's glove Gervais would trot home for the game winning score.

Gervais would get the resilient pitching win for Johnson striking out eight while walking none and allowing 12 hits.  Both Lovelette and Golfin would have two hits apiece while Caitlyn Mackey (St. Albans, Vt./BFA-St. Albans) would double and score twice.

Taylor Lively (Greenfield, Mass.) was tagged with the loss for the Spartans as she pitched six plus innings whiffing seven, walking none, and scattering nine hits.  Rachael Dube (Newbury, Vt.) had a 3-for-5 outing while Julie Benzenberg (Pine Bush, N.Y.) went 2-for-4, including a triple, with two RBI and a run.

Courtesy of: Johnson State Sports Information