NEW LONDON, Conn. - Castleton gave up a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the 11th to fall to Coast Guard 5-4 in the opener, before salvaging a split of the non-conference doubleheader with a 4-3 win in the night cap.

The Bears led 3-1 going into the seventh and final inning of the opener before the Spartans scored twice with two outs on an RBI triple by junior Ryan Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y.) and an RBI single by sophomore Joe Borowski (Schenectady, N.Y.) off Coast Guard closer Tyler Vieira to tie the game at three apiece.

The game stayed tied at 3-3 until the top of the 11th. With two down, senior David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) hit a double and Cameron Curler (Vergennes, Vt.) followed with a single to put runners on first and third for Zielinski. The junior ripped an RBI double, scoring Brandt and moving Curler to third for the 4-3 lead.

In the home half of the 11th, Bears junior Tyler Babkiewich (Golden, Col.) reached on an error, junior Mike Massaro (Sewell, N.J.) had an infield single and junior Nolan Gallagher (New Milford, Conn.) walked to load the bases before junior Eric Gerken's (Tampa, Fla.) grounder to second was misplayed allowing two runs to score giving Coast Guard the win.

Vieira (3-1) worked the final six innings and allowed eight hits and three runs, all earned while walking two and striking out seven to get the win. Junior Tyler Erickson (Naugatuck, Conn.) (0-2) was the tough luck loser as he went the distance for Castleton working 10 1/3 innings, allowing just seven hits and five runs, three earned, while walking four and striking out six.

Zielinski was 4-for-5 with a pair or RBI's while Curler had a pair of hits for the Spartans in the game one loss.

Senior Dakota Aker (1-1) went the distance in game two for Castleton allowing eight hits and three earned runs while walking six and striking out nine.

Coast Guard took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by junior Ed Sella (Silver Spring, Md. ) before Castleton scored all four of its runs in the third. Borowski and sophomore Allen White (Rutland, Vt.) hit back-to-back one-out RBI singles before sophomore Matt McNamee's (Pawling, N.Y.) two-out, two-run single pushed the lead to 4-1.

The Bears scored two in the home half of the third on and RBI single by Sella before Gallagher, who walked, later scored on a wild pitch. Coast Guard left the bases loaded in the sixth and Sella led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, his third hit of the game, but was left stranded.

Freshman Anthony Martin (1-2) started for Coast Guard and was touched for nine hits and four earned runs with four walks and seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

McNamee finished 3-for-3 while Borowski had two hits for the Spartans in game two and junior Joe Petry (Worcester, Mass.) had two hits for the Bears in the game two loss.

The Spartans move to 2-7 with the Sunday split and return to the diamond for their home opener on Saturday with a doubleheader against Lyndon St. beginning at 2 p.m.