HENNIKER, N.H. – Castleton State College swept North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) East Division baseball doubleheader from New England College Thursday, taking game one 13-0 behind a dominant pitching performance and coming back for a 7-2 win in the nightcap.
 
Senior right-hander Tyler Erickson (Naugatuck, Conn.) was virtually untouchable in the opener, facing just one batter over the minimum in the complete-game shutout.
 
Erickson retired the first 15 Pilgrims that came to the plate before allowing a lead-off double to Juan Berrios (Fort Meyers, Fla.) in the sixth. Erickson settled in to retire the next six batters he faced to improve to 3-2, striking out eight. Over his last three starts – all complete game wins – Erickson has allowed just one run on nine hits and one walk to go along with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings.
 
Leading 1-0 in the second, Castleton sent nine men to the plate and scored four runs to grab a 5-0 lead. Adam Greenlese (Shokan, N.Y.) led off with an infield single and with one out David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) singled to centerfield. After a strikeout Ryan Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y.) cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left-centerfield. Joe Borowski (Schenectady, N.Y.) followed in kind, belting a solo shot to left-center. Two more singles by Pete Wagner (Brattleboro, Vt.) and Matt McNamee (Pawling, N.Y.) kept the momentum going, but NEC starter Eric Johnson (Whitman, Mass.) was able to extinguish the rally with a strikeout.
 
The Spartans plated two more in the third as Greenlese walked to lead things off, advanced to second on a balk and moved to third on a Mat Pause (Wilder, Vt.) single. Greenlese scored on a double-steal and Brandt tripled home Pause before Johnson escaped further damage by retiring the next three Spartans in order.
 
Castleton tacked on six runs in the seventh for good measure, McNamee plated a pair with a single, Curler laced an RBI-double and Zielinski tacked on his fourth RBI of the game with a single.
 
Zielinski's 2-for-5 performance highlighted a 15-hit outburst by the Spartan offense. Brandt finished 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, while Greenlese had a pair of hits and three runs scored. Pause and Borowski also added two hits and two runs scored.

 
In the nightcap, Castleton scored seven unanswered runs over the final two innings to comeback from a 2-0 deficit and complete the sweep.
 
Gilberto Luis-Hermina (Miami, Fla.) broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a two-run home run to left-centerfield, scoring Chris Biskup (South Portland, Maine) who singled to third with one out in the inning.
 
NEC starter Tyler Perrin (Thetford Center, Vt.) breezed through the first five innings of play, allowing only two hits while striking out nine but ran into trouble in the sixth.
 
With one out Borowski singled and Wagner doubled to left putting runners on second and third. After a fielder's choice, Tyler Hoare (Duxbury, Vt.) worked a two-out walk to load the bases. Greenlese brought home the first run after being hit by a pitch, and pinch-hitter Zak Mayo (Avon, Conn.) gave Castleton the lead with a two-run single to left field. Brandt brought home an insurance run with a double to left, before Perrin ended the inning with his tenth strikeout.
 
Zielinski led off with a single and Borowski followed with a double down the right field line to chase Perrin. Wagner rudely greeted Pilgrim reliever Francesco DiRe (Barrington, R.I.) with a two-run double to right field, closing the book on Perrin.
 
Patrick Riley (Strafford, Vt.) evened his mark at 3-3, scattering six hits and one walk while striking out five in the complete-game win.
 
Wagner finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the offense, while Zielinski and Borowski each collected two hits.
 
Castleton improves to 11-8 overall and remain unbeaten at 6-0 in NEAC East play. The Spartans will host the University of Maine at Farmington in a four-game set Friday and Saturday, with doubleheaders beginning at 2 pm and noon respectively.