Amherst, Mass. - The Spartans fell victim to nine fielding errors that led to nine Amherst runs as they fell to the Lord Jeffs on Thursday in Amherst, 9-2. Amherst scored eight unearned runs on the day to take the win. 

Sam Spencer went six innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and struck out four. However the defense behind him made six errors behind him that allowed five more unearned runs to cross during his outing, costing him a loss. Robert Gould and Michael LaBeau each pitched an inning in relief, allowing three combined runs, but none of them earned. LaBeau struck out a pair of Lord Jeffs in his Castleton debut.

The Spartans were in a 5-0 hole before they could put a run on the board. Amherst manufactured two runs in the first, one in the second, and two more in the third to take a five-run lead into the fourth inning. In the top of the fourth, Matt McNamee drew a walk to begin a two-out rally. Ryan Crowley and Nate Swahn each followed with singles, with McNamee coming home on Swahn's hit, making it 5-1.

Spencer eventually settled in on the mound for the Spartans, despite allowing six runs over the first four innings, the sophomore retired seven of the last eight batters he faced through the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.

In the top of the eighth inning, Castleton added a run to their total. Joe Borowski earned a walk and Jackson Musco pinch ran for the senior. Two batters later, McNamee ripped a single that moved Musco around to third, and Ryan Crowley produced an RBI groundout to the right side, giving the Spartans their second run of the game. 

Amherst tacked on three runs in their final two at-bats, scoring once in the seventh and twice in the eighth, extending their lead to 9-2. Quinton Saunders-Kolberg earned the win on the mound for the Lord Jeffs, going seven innings and allowing just one run on four hits. Mike Odenwaelder went 3-for-5 from the plate with an RBI and two runs scored. Alex Hero went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. 

Castleton falls to 15-8 on the season and will return to conference play on Saturday, April 19 when they travel to Lyndonville to face the Hornets in a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader.