CASTLETON, Vt. – Castleton State College swept a non-conference baseball doubleheader from Norwich University Thursday afternoon, downing the Cadets 9-3 in the opener and 14-2 in the nightcap.

In the opener Castleton (11-15) plated four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back, cruising to the 9-3 win. Matt Greene (Albany, N.Y.) improved to 3-2 on the season, allowing three earned runs on five hits and six walks while striking out five.

Ryan Zielinski (Schnectady, N.Y.) and Jack Lancelin (Chatham, N.Y.) each had two hits at the top of the Spartan order, and Aaron Zrenda (East Lyme, Conn.) drove in a pair of runs to pace the offense.

Travis Dyke (Lewiston, Maine) and Joe Sleeman (Rochester, N.Y.) each had an RBI-single to pace Norwich (0-17).

In the bottom of the first Zielinski singled to lead things off, and Lancelin doubled to put runners at second and third. With one out in the inning, Zak Mayo (Avon, Conn.) drew a six-pitch walk to load the bases. A wild pitch moved everyone up, and Zrenda ripped a two-run double to left-centerfield to put Castleton up 3-0. Two batters later, Peter Wagner (Brattleboro, Vt.) laced an RBI-single right field to push the lead to 4-0.

The Spartans tacked on another run in the third inning before Norwich grabbed three in the fourth.

With the bases loaded and one out, Dyke singled to right field to make it 5-1, before David Maxfield (Randolph, Vt.) made it 5-2 with a run-scoring fielder's choice, beating out a double-play ball that erased Dyke at second. Sleeman added a clutch, two-out single to right-center to cut the lead to 5-3 before Greene was able to get out of the inning.

Castleton grabbed another single run in the fifth, and three more in the sixth to put the game away. David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) provided a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Zielinski slapped a one-out single through the left side that scored Wagner, and chased Norwich starter Ben Kleiner (Cheshire, Mass.).

Kleiner took the loss, pitching five-and-one-third innings, allowing nine earned runs on eight hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.

With the nightcap knotted at one-all in the bottom of the second inning, Castleton sent 12 men to the plate to put the game away. Cameron Curler (Vergennes, Vt.) had a pair of singles, and drove in three runs in the inning and Matt McNamee (Pawling, N.Y.) had two singles, an RBI and a run scored during the rally.

Lancelin finished with two hits and three RBI, and Allen White (Rutland, Vt.) went 2-for-2 with an RBI off the bench. Brandt finished the night cap with two hits and four runs scored.

Tim Smith (Farmington, Maine) pitched six solid innings, allowing two runs (none earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out nine to earn his first career win.

Castleton will host a four-game set with North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division rival Thomas on Friday and Saturday. Thomas currently sits atop the NEAC East standings at 6-2, while Castleton is third at 5-3. Friday's doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m., with first-pitch of Saturday's doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m.

Norwich will look to get its first win of the season Saturday when the Cadets host Johnson & Wales in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action slated to begin at 1 p.m.