Castleton, Vt. - The Spartans split a two-game series with North Atlantic Conference foe New England College, taking game one 7-5 and dropping the second contest 7-5 at Spartan Field on Thursday, Apr. 11.

Chelsea Grady and Stephanie Sylvester each went 2-for-3 in the first game, while Jessica Babcock notched all three Castleton hits in game two. Taylor Lively pitched the complete first game, earning the win, and started the second game. The senior hurler struck out 11 Pilgrims in 10.0 innings of work.

NEC's Alyssa Krause went 5-for-8 with six RBI over the course of both games, rocking a three-run double in game two.

In game one, both pitchers dominated in the early stages of the game, allowing only one hit apiece through the first three innings. Neither team scored until the bottom of the fourth, when the Spartans broke out to a 6-0 lead.

Kayla Daigle and Chelsea Crehan were each hit by pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a popout and a fielder's choice, Tori Fearon stepped to the plate and dribbled a swinging bunt up the first base line. Fearon beat the throw, earning a single, and collided with the covering second baseman, sending the ball skittering away and allowing Jessica Babcock to score from second base, putting the Spartans up 2-0.

Two consecutive singles from Chelsea Grady and Steph Sylvester brought home Fearon, making it 3-0. Kristy Pinkham laced a shot to the second baseman that was too hot to handle, scooting into right field and bringing home Grady and moving Sylvester to third. After Pinkham stole second, Caylee Fleury ripped a single into left, bringing home both runners and moving the score to 6-0.

In the top of the fifth, NEC struck back with a run. Brittney Distante led off the inning by reaching on a throwing error. Jessica Kiehl and Elizabeth Harrigan followed with back-to-back singles to bring home the run, making the score 6-1. The Spartans were able to prevent further damage with great defense. Kiley Williams dinked a ground ball to third baseman Jessica Babcock who gunned down the runner trying to score from third, and Lively struck out Taylor Belsito to end the threat.

Castleton added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Chelsea Grady and Stephanie Sylvester rocked back-to-back doubles, to increase their lead to 7-1 entering the top of the seventh inning.

NEC threatened again in the top of the seventh, beginning the frame with a single and a walk. After a popout, the Pilgrims scored their first run of the frame on a wild pitch to make the score 7-2. Kiley Williams singled up the middle, and advanced to second on a popout to put runners on second and third with two out.

The next batter, Alyssa Krause, stepped up to the plate for the Pilgrims and drilled a single to center bringing home both runners to tighten the gap to three runs. Rebecca Allen followed up with a single, and Alyssa Hoot ripped a line drive at the shortstop that Kristy Pinkham couldn't snag, allowing another run to score. Up just two, with the tying run on first base, and Distante at the plate, Lively forced the batter to fly out to right field, sealing the first game for the Spartans, 7-5.

In game two, the Spartans jumped out to an early lead, bringing home a pair of runs in the first inning. Daigle walked to lead off the inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt and a walk by Brittany Brayman. With runners on first and second, Babcock ripped a double to bring home Daigle for the Spartans first run. Tori Fearon grounded out to first to bring home another run, to put the Spartans up 2-0. 

NEC answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Harrigan led off for the Pilgrims with a single to left. After a sacrifice bunt, a strikeout, and a walk, the visitors had runners on first and second with two outs. Krause, Allen, and Distante strung together three singles to bring in two runs to tie the game. Lively struck out Alyssa Hoot with the bases loaded to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Pilgrims struck again, notching three runs in the frame. Kiehl and Harrigan led off with back-to-back singles, followed by Miranda Johnson, who reached on a fielder's choice. With the bases loaded and no outs, Castleton cut down NEC runners at the plate on consecutive plays. Krause stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases full and ripped a double to the left field fence, driving in three runs, putting the Pilgrims up 5-2.

The Spartans answered with a rally of their own. Babcock singled to lead off the inning, followed by a fielder's choice by Grady two batters later. A Pilgrims error allowed Babcock to score, cutting the lead to 5-3. Caylee Fleury drove in a run on a groundout and Chelsea Crehan smoked a one-hopper that the Pilgrims' third baseman couldn't handle, allowing another run to score, tying the game 5-5.

In the top of the seventh, NEC's Miranda Johnson faced Castleton's Emily Sweeney with one out and runners on second and third. The freshman blooped a single over first base into the green, allowing the two runs to score and the Pilgrims to take a 7-5 lead. The Spartans were unable to generate any runs in the bottom of the frame, giving the Pilgrims the win.

Castleton moves to 8-16 on the season, with a 5-3 mark within the conference. The Spartans will return to action when they travel to Thomas on Saturday, Apr. 13 to take on the Terriers in a conference doubleheader.