LONGVIEW, Texas. – Zak Mayo (Avon, Conn.) and Cameron Curler (Vergennes, Vt.) each had a pair of hits, but Castleton could not overcome a late unearned run, falling to LeTourneau 2-1 in its season opener.

Mayo drove in Castleton's run in the top of the third inning, plating Adam Greenlese (Shokan, N.Y.) who had reached on an error to lead off the inning. With two outs in the inning, Greenlese swiped second, allowing him to score on Mayo's single back through the box.

LeTourneau answered with a single run off Castleton starter Dakota Aker (Schnectady, N.Y.) in the bottom of the inning. Chris Bertram (Friendswood, Texas) singled home Rhett Bohannon (New Waverly, Texas) who was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a walk.

Betram singled home what proved to be the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth, scoring pinch-runner Josh Francis (Henderson, Texas). Tyler Hoare (Duxbury, Vt.) made a bid to end the inning with a diving catch on Bertram's sinking liner in right field but could not hang on and Francis scampered home from second.

Ray Whitley (Dickinson, Texas) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to pick up his first collegiate victory. Whitley struck out two batters and allowed only one hit.
Travis Norris (Spring, Texas) started for the YellowJackets and gave up only an unearned run over five innings while striking out four batters.
Patrick Riley (Strafford, Vt.) absorbed the loss for Castleton (0-1) after allowing LeTourneau the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.

Aker pitched three innings in the no-decision, allowing one run on two hits while striking out four. Tyler Erickson (Naugutuck, Conn.) pitched four innings of relief for the Spartans, retiring the side in order over his first three innings and giving up only a bad-hop single to Leftwich in the seventh.

Castleton will take on the University of Texas-Tyler on Monday and Tuesday, before returning to LeTourneau on Wednesday.