CASTLETON, Vt. – Plymouth State University scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back, beating Castleton State College in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday afternoon at Spartan Field.

Freshman Michael Welch (Westfield, Mass.) picked up his first career win for the Panthers, allowing two earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out one over five innings.

Plymouth State sent 11 men to the plate in the six-run first, chasing Castleton starter Brendan Mayhew (Barnard, Vt.) who was responsible for all six runs on three hits and four walks while retiring just one. After retiring the leadoff man in David Foote (North Andover, Mass.), the next eight Panthers reached base with RBI-singles coming from Mike Capiello (Westfield, N.J.) and Spencer Webb (Warwick, R.I.). Jeff Runnals (Wolfeboro, N.H.), Rob Madonna (Cranston, R.I.) and Tucker Regan (Niantic, Conn.) each worked bases-loaded walks to bring home a run and Foote capped off the scoring with a run-scoring fielder's choice.

Castleton got one back in the bottom of the inning as David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) singled up the middle to lead things off, stole second and third, and came home on a Ryan Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y.) sacrifice fly to right.

After a clean second inning, the Panthers went to work on reliever Matt Ravey (Colchester, Vt.) in the third, tacking on three more runs. Runnals got things started with a bunt single and stolen base, and Madonna smacked a one-out double to left-centerfield. Regan singled through the left side and Foote followed with an RBI-double to left-center.

The Spartans loaded the bases in the fifth, but Welch worked himself out of the jam, allowing just one run on another Zielinski sacrifice fly.

Ravey allowed three runs over three-and-two-thirds innings of relief, and Tim Smith (Farmington, Maine) followed with three shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. Grant Davis (Holliston, Mass.) and Patrick Riley (Strafford, Vt.) finished off the eighth and ninth respectively.

Joe Hudson (Greenfield, Mass.) allowed just one hit over three innings of relief and Webb finished things off in the ninth.

Brandt and Mat Pause (Wilder, Vt.) each went 2-for-4 to pace the Spartan offense. Foote collected a pair of hits and two RBI to lead the Panthers, while Reny, Webb and Regan each had two hits and an RBI.

The Spartans fall to 26-13 in their final tune up before the weekend's conference tournament. Castleton will host the four-team, double-elimination event starting at 11 am on Friday when the Spartans square off with Colby-Sawyer.

Plymouth State returns to Little East play Saturday with a doubleheader versus UMass-Boston.