HENNIKER, N.H. - The Spartans got a strong pitching performance from junior Emily Sweeney (Weare, N.H.) as Castleton earned a 9-3 victory in the opener of a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) doubleheader and was also leading 9-4 in the second inning of the second game before it was suspended due to weather.

Sweeney allowed just three hits and two earned runs while striking out seven and walking three for her fifth win of the season. Caylee Fluery (Barre, Vt.), meanwhile, finished a double short of the cycle and 3-for-5 overall with three RBI and two runs. The Spartans improve to 11-14 overall and 6-1 in NAC play, while the loss drops the Pilgrims to 17-10 overall and 9-2 in the NAC.

In the opener, the Spartans jumped on the board first as freshman Kristy Pinkham (Brandon, Vt.) led off with a single to right field and then came around from first to scored on an error by the pitcher.

Junior Mercedes Maltbie (Warrensburg, N.Y.) made it 2-0 in the top of the second, blasting a leadoff home run over the centerfield wall. Margy Kerschner (Vergennes, Vt.) followed with a double and then stole third to get in scoring position. After a pop-up, Caitlin Mackey (Schenectady, N.Y.) walked and stole second to set the table for Chelsea Crehan (Essex, Conn.). She doubled home both runs and eventually came around to score on a Fleury triple to push the Castleton lead to 5-0.

NEC got a run back in the bottom of the third on an error, to cut the score to 5-1.

The Spartans tacked on two more runs in the fifth as Crehan led off the inning with a single and two batters later Fleury jacked a ball over the fence in right field. In the bottom of the frame, the Pilgrims finally managed their first hit off Sweeney.

Leading 7-0, Castleton kept the offense going in the sixth. Fleury led off with a single and Shannon Jipner (Bristol, Vt.) brought her home with a single of her own. Pinch runner Leah Van Buren (Schenectady, N.Y.) advanced to second on a passed ball and scored as the next batter reached on an error by the second baseman.

In the bottom of the sixth, NEC struck again with a pair of two-out runs to make it a six-run ballgame. However, after her team went down in order in the top of frame, Sweeney shut the door, striking out two of the four batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh.

Castleton's hot hitting continued in the second game as they scored three in the first and six in the second to take a 9-4 lead before the contest was suspended with two outs in the bottom of the frame.

The Spartans return to action on Saturday when they host Thomas iin a doubleheader at 2 pm.