CASTLETON, Vt. – Castleton State College swept a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) softball doubleheader at the University of Maine-Farmington, 4-2 and 6-1, on Saturday afternoon at Prescott Field snapping a seven-game losing streak.

The Spartans improve to 11-17 overall and 5-5 in NAC play. The Beavers fall to 5-9 and 3-3 in the NAC.

In game one, sophomore pitcher Emily Sweeney (Weare, N.H.) gave up two runs (both earned), on five hits, four walks and three strikeouts in seven innings of work to push her record to 4-8 overall. Emma Vaillancourt (Saco, Maine) was handed the loss tossing seven innings, giving up eight hits, four runs (two earned), four walks and seven strikeouts.

In the top of the third, Castleton got on the scoreboard first as third baseman Shannon Jipner (Bristol, Vt.) was hit-by-a-pitch with the bases loaded for a 1-0 lead. Second baseman Mercedes Maltbie (Warrensburg, N.Y.) followed with a walk for one of her four RBI's in the doubleheader and a 2-0 advantage. Shortstop Megan Blongy (Rutland, Vt.) and first baseman Sarah Flore (Springfield, Vt.) both singled while right fielder Tori Fearon (Colchester, Conn.) drew a walk in between both base knocks to set up the inning.

Maine-Farmington responded in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs to tie up the contest at 2-2. After McKell Barnes (Durham, Maine) flied out to center field to leadoff the frame, Samantha Morency (Lewiston, Maine) singled through the left side of the infield and Meaghan Donnell (Rochester, N.H.) notched an infield single to put runners at first and second. Freshman left fielder Liz Sargent (Trenton, Maine) drove in Morency with an RBI double to center field and Casey Mull (Portland, Maine) grounded out to first base to even the score headed into the fifth.

After both teams went scoreless in the fifth, Castleton pushed two more across in the top of the sixth inning taking advantage of a fielding error. Pinch hitter Julie Benzenberg (Pine Bush, N.Y.) reached first base on a fielding error by the third baseman to leadoff the frame. Sweeney, who was pinch hit for by Benzenberg, re-entered at first base and was successfully sacrificed over to second by Hannah Greene (Rutland, Vt.). Blongy singled to the shortstop to put runners at the corners. Caylee Fleury (Barre, Vt.) struck out swinging, then Fearon walked setting up another bases loaded situation. Flore came through for the Spartans roping a single to left field plating Sweeney and Blongy for a 4-2 advantage.

In game two, sophomore pitcher Taylor Lively (Greenfield, Mass.) earned the victory (6-9) on seven innings of work, five hits, one run (earned), two walks and a game-high seven punchouts. Vaillancourt was dealt the loss going six innings, yielding nine hits, five runs (four earned), four walks and six strikeouts.

Both teams exchanged runs in the third inning as Fleury scored on a fielding error for Castleton and Barnes plated a runner with an infield single for a 1-1 score.

In the top of the fifth, the Spartans erupted for three runs on Maltbie's ninth double of the season - a three-run knock - scoring Fleury, Fearon and Flore to take a 4-1 lead. Castleton added one run in the sixth with a RBI single by Flore and another in the seventh on a sacrifice groundout by senior catcher Stephanie Wright (Guilford, Vt.). 
The Spartans notched seven hits in game two of the doubleheader led by a 3-for-4 performance from Blongy and Maltbie who went 2-for-4 with one run scored and three runs driven in. Hitting third in the order, Fearon went 3-for-3 with one run scored and a walk.

Castleton returns to action Tuesday, April 19 at home against SUNY-Cobleskill with game one of the doubleheader starting at 3 pm.