CASTLETON, Vt. – Freshman Jackie Digman (Burlington, Mass.) homered in both games to lead a Plymouth State University offense that scored 17 runs on 24 hits to a non-conference doubleheader sweep versus Castleton, 9-1 and 8-5, on Tuesday afternoon.

The Panthers improve to 9-10 overall. The Spartans fall to 9-13 on the season.

In game one, Amber White (Middleboro, Mass.) earned the victory (6-5) tossing six innings of one run ball on five hits, no walks and five strikeouts. Taylor Lively (Greenfield, Mass.) was handed the loss over six innings of work giving up 15 hits, nine runs (seven earned), no walks and four punchouts.

Plymouth State used a five-run first inning to take an early lead and never looked back. Left fielder Jenn Bove (Medford, Mass.) doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning and driven home in the next at bat as center fielder (No. Kingstown, R.I.) lined a double to center field for a 1-0 advantage.

Digman, Sam Hebert (Manchester, N.H.) and White all collected RBI's in the frame with White capping the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Panthers a 5-0 lead.

In the fourth with runners on first and second, Digman took Lively deep down the left field line for her first of two home runs on the day pushing Plymouth State's gap to 8-0.

Castleton answered back in the bottom half second baseman Mercedes Maltbie (Warrensburg, N.Y.) singled home third baseman Shannon Jipner (Bristol, Vt.) who singled earlier in the inning.

Third baseman Kortney Nedeau (Kennebunk, Maine) added a solo shot to lead off the sixth inning to run the score to 9-1 in favor of the Panthers.

In game two, Nora Galvin (Windham, N.H.) earned the win (3-5) completing six-and-two-thirds innings pitched, yielding six hits, three runs (all earned), one walk and a game-high 12 strikeouts. Emily Sweeney (Weare, N.H.) was dealt the loss (3-6) on seven innings, nine hits, eight runs (five earned), two walks and four punchouts. Diana Bean (Danvers, Mass.) recorded one out while allowing four hits, two runs (two earned), and one walk.

Scoreless after one inning of play, Plymouth State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Hebert connected for a two-run home run to right field plating Digman who reached earlier on an error.

In the third, Nedeau made it 3-0 with a single through the left side of the infield scoring Bove.

Castleton scratched home a run as catcher Steph Wright (Guilford, Vt.) led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a single by right fielder Tori Fearon (Colchester, Conn.) and scored in the backdoor as Fearon moved up a base after left fielder Caylee Fleury (Barre, Vt.) popped up to the catcher.

The Panthers broke the game open in the next half inning plating three runs on four hits. Bove notched a RBI single to score Galvin for a 4-1 score. Heather Blasé (Milford, N.H.) capped the scoring with a single through the left side for a 6-1 lead. Taylor Mancini (Gansevoort, N.Y.) scored the second run of the inning on a fielding error.

In the bottom half with one out, Maltbie homered to dead center field, her fifth of the season, to cut into the score at 6-2.

Plymouth State added two more runs in the fifth inning as Digman connected for her second home run of the day with a solo shot to left field. Shortstop Hilary Lemelin (Milan, N.H.) pushed the score to 8-2 with a fielder's choice RBI.

Castleton kept scratching away at the lead, but its rally fell short scoring three runs over the next two innings. In the sixth, Maltbie delivered a two-run double to the left center field gap plating Leah VanBuren (Schenectady, N.Y.) and Shanna Gebo (Bristol, Vt.) who were both pinch running in the inning. Maltbie was thrown out at third base to end the frame trying to stretch the double into a triple. Jipner and Sarah Flore (Springfield, Vt.) set up the inning with a single and walk, respectively.

Flore made it 8-5 in the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle scoring shortstop Megan Blongy (Rutland, Vt.), but Galvin closed the door with back-to-back strike outs swinging against Maltbie and Hannah Greene (Rutland, Vt.) to complete the sweep.

Castleton returns to action tomorrow against Middlebury with game one of the doubleheader starting at 3:30 pm.