CASTLETON, Vt. – Ryan Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs as Castleton State College defeated Colby-Sawyer College 13-6 to force a seventh and deciding game in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division Baseball Championship at Spartan Field.

Adam Greenlese (Shokan, N.Y.) picked up the complete-game win to improve to 5-0 on the season allowing six runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out three. Ryan Gillian (Alton, N.H.) shouldered the loss for Colby-Sawyer allowing eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits and two walks in three innings-plus. Alex Drost (West Windsor, Vt.) came on to pitch the final six innings in relief, allowing five runs (three earned)  on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Castleton manufactured a run in the first as David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) led off with a bunt single, stole second, was sacrificed over to third and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to leftfield by Joe Borowski (Schenectady, N.Y.).

The Spartans tacked on four more in the second, all with two outs after a catcher's interference call put runners on first and third and extended the inning. After Mat Pause (Wilder, Vt.) stole second, Brandt walked loading the bases for Zielinski. Zielinski laced the second pitch in the at-bat to left for a two-run single, and Borowski followed with a two-run double to the gap in right-centerfield before Gillian induced a pop-out to end the threat.

Colby-Sawyer broke through in the third for a pair of runs as Greenlese retired the first two batters with relative ease before walking Sean Gavin (Keene, N.H.) and Greg Mehuron (Waitsfield, Vt.). Tyler Stotz (Amesbury, Mass.) and Andy Lapple (Newtown, Conn.) followed with run-scoring singles before Greenlese was able to end the inning.

Castleton answered with three more in the top of the fourth as Tyler Hoare (Duxbury, Vt.) walked and Pause singled turning the lineup over to Brandt. Brandt once again bunted for a hit, and all three runners moved up on an errant throw to first. Zielinski then brought home both Pause and Brandt with a seeing-eye single up the middle, driving home his third and fourth runs of the ball game and chasing Gillian.

A sacrifice fly by Zielinski brought home Brandt in the sixth – who had doubled to lead off the inning – but the Chargers came back with two more in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 9-4. Lapple doubled to rightfield after Stotz started the inning reaching on a hit by pitch. Jake Szulak (Middleboro, Mass.) followed with a ringing single to plate Stotz and Lapple came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Justin Martin (Lebanon, N.H.).

Hoare brought home a two-out run with a single in the seventh and Greenlese induced a pop-out to rightfield, stranding a pair of Chargers in the bottom of the inning to maintain the six-run advantage. Castleton scored three more (one earned) in the eighth, all with two outs, Curler brought home the first run on a single to third and came around to score on a double steal to cap the Spartan scoring.

Colby-Sawyer tacked on two more in the ninth as Stotz brought home a pair with a single.

Brandt finished the day 3-for-4 and stole two bases, while Borowski finished 2-for-4 with three RBI to aid the Spartan attack which pounded out 16 hits. Stotz led the way for the Chargers with three hits and three RBI.