BANGOR, Maine – Castleton sophomore centerfielder Tori Fearon (Colchester, Conn.) went 3-for-4 with four runs batted in to lead the second-seeded Spartans to a 6-3 win over New England College in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Softball Tournament hosted by Husson University at O'Keefe Field.

With the win the Spartans advance through the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will take on fourth-seeded Thomas College which upset number-one Husson 8-4 in the day's first game.

Emily Sweeney (Weare, N.H.) earned the win for the Spartans, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out five. Gabrielle Timms (Clark Summit, Pa.) received the loss, going three and a third, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk while fanning three. She was relieved by Elizabeth Harrigan (Weston, Conn.) who added two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, giving up just two hits and a walk to close out the contest.

Chelsea Crehan (Essex, Conn.) reached base all three times she came to the plate, going 2-2 with a walk while scoring twice to aid the offense.

For the Pilgrims, leadoff hitter LiAnn Linck (New Fairfield, Conn.) led the way with a 2-4 day at the plate, belting a two-run home run over the left field wall in the fifth inning for NEC. First year second baseman Taylor Belsito (Millbury, Mass.) got on base twice, going 1-2 with a walk and run scored. 
  
The Spartans broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third when Crehan reached on a one-out bunt single. She advanced to second on a sac bunt, and Caylee Fleury (Barre, Vt.) singled to set the table for Fearon who ripped a double to left center that plated a pair. Castleton first baseman Shannon Jipner (Bristol, Vt.) went the other way with a single to right center that allowed Fearon to score from second, giving the designated home team a 3-0 lead after three.

NEC got one back in the top of the fourth when Stephanie Freitag (Lakeville, Mass.) reached on an error and after a fly out, advanced to second on a walk. The Pilgrims performed a double-steal, and on an errant throw down to third, Freitag scored the first run of the day for NEC that cut the deficit to two at 3-1.

Castleton kept their hot bats going in the fourth when Bridget Dusha (Greenwich, N.Y.) led off the inning with a double to left center. Caitlin Makey (Schenectady, N.Y.) laid down a sacrifice, but beat it out, and a walk to Crehan loaded the bases for the Spartans. Kristy Pinkham (Brandon, Vt.) came through with the sac fly to right that plated Dusha and it was 4-1 in favor of Castleton. That led to a Pilgrim pitching change, and Harrigan walked the first batter she faced which loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. Fearon kept up her offensive output with a single to left that brought home two giving the Spartans a 6-1 edge after four innings.

New England College would not go quietly as they pushed two runs across in the fifth to keep it close. Belsito got the first hit of the game for the Pilgrims with a one-out infield single, setting up Linck who crushed a ball to left that carried over the fence to make it 6-3 after four and a half.

Harrigan settled down in the circle allowing just one hit the rest of the way to give her team a chance at a comeback. NEC got a pair of hits in the seventh inning, but Sweeney and the Spartan defense were able to hang on and close out the win.

Castleton will face-off against the Terriers of Thomas College at approximately 12:00 pm on Saturday at O'Keefe Field, immediately following the elimination match-up between New England College and the Husson University Eagles that begins at 10:00 am.