PLYMOUTH N.H. – Castleton scored four times in the top of the eighth inning to break open a tie game and earn a split with Plymouth St. on Thursday afternoon, taking game two 4-1 after falling 3-1 in the opening game of the day. 

The Spartans earned a split with Plymouth St. for the second consecutive year to move to 7-13 on the year. The Panthers, meanwhile, dropped to 14-10. 

Sophomore Brittany Brayman and senior Tori Fearon each recorded three hits on the afternoon. Brayman also scored twice and drove in a pair of runs. Freshman Kayla Wood earned the victory in the second game by tossing 4.0 innings of scoreless relief while striking out four batters and walking just one. 

In the top of the first, Kristi Lawless led off with a walk and Fearon double through the left side to put two runners on. Two batters later, Brayman singled home Lawless for the 1-0 lead. However back-to-back outs ended the scoring. 

The Panthers came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Bekah Jackson tripled and then scored on a sacrifice fly to tie it 1-1 after one inning. Plymouth St. added an unearned run in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. 

Castleton put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the fifth before a fly out ended the threat. The Panthers then pushed their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth as Jackie Digman hit a solo home run. 

Trailing by two in the last of the seventh, Lawless and Jessica Babcock both singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. Babcock advanced to second on a passed ball but Brayman grounded out to first to end the game. 

Cassidy Tedeschi took the loss, going 4.0 innings and allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out two. Katie Gagne allowed an earned run in 2.0 innings of relief while striking out a batter. 

The second game was scoreless under the top of the second. Brayman led off with a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. She came around to score on an error by the third baseman for the 1-0 advantage. Plymouth St. came back with a run of its own in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at one apiece. 

After Wood sent the Panthers down in the bottom of the seventh she was put on second to start the eighth inning. Lawless followed and reached on a fielder's choice due to an error, which allowed Wood to score for the 2-1 lead. With two outs in the inning, Babcock singled home Lawless and Brayman followed with a run-scoring single. She also came around to score for the 5-1 lead. 

Veronica Arnone got the start for Castleton and allowed one unearned run while striking out two and walking a pair. 

The Spartans return to action on Saturday when they travel to face Johnson St. in a doubleheader beginning at 2 pm.