LONGVIEW, Texas – Castleton kicked off its 2015 season with a pair of games against the LeTourneau Yellow Jackets, losing both games in the doubleheader 5-4 and 6-3. 

The two losses marks the first time since 2012 that the Spartans have opened their season with a 0-2 record. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, improve to 2-2 overall with the sweep.

In game one, Castleton battled back from a two-run deficit to force extra innings. However, LeTourneau seized a 5-4 victory with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Sam Spencer started on the mound for the Spartans, throwing six strong innings with six strikeouts and just two earned runs. Matt Ravey relieved Spencer in the seventh inning and took the loss for Castleton after allowing one run in 2.1 innings pitched.

Justin Jenkins threw 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory for the Yellow Jackets, while Jordan Carns tossed 5.2 innings with four punch-outs and four runs allowed (zero earned) en route to earning a no-decision.

The Spartans took the first lead of the ballgame after Taylor Vile drove in a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. With two on and two out, the junior infielder singled home Tyler Hoare and Soren Pelz-Walsh to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. 

LeTourneau responded in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of its own. After two straight singles put runners in scoring position, Rayne Hobbs hit a bases-clearing double to even the score. 

Castleton threatened again in the third when Zach Bahan and Jim Buckley reached base, but Carns struck out Hoare to end the frame.

After a rocky start to the game, Spencer found his groove, setting down eight consecutive batters from the second to fifth inning. However, with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Bryce Henry sparked the Yellow Jackets offense after reaching first base on a dropped third strike. Sean Sellers put Henry in scoring position with a two-out single, and Kyle Jacobs' double to left drove him home to give the hosts a 4-2 lead. 

In the top of the sixth, the Spartans found their answer when Vile came through in the clutch again, knocking home a pair of runs to bring the game back to level terms. With two down and men on second and third, the junior infielder hit the ball to the left side of the infield, and the Yellow Jackets' defense failed to handle it, allowing both runners to score and tie the game at four.

Castleton had runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings, but failed to capitalize, as LeTourneau's Landon Methvin provided a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to score Caemen Mayfield and secure the team a 5-4 victory.

The Spartans, once again, jumped out to a quick start in the final contest of the doubleheader, grabbing a two-run lead in the second. The Yellow Jackets responded, however, with six runs in the third and fourth innings en route to capturing a 6-3 win.

With the game scoreless in the top of the second, Bahan led off with a triple before Buckley reached first base with a walk. Subsequently, the two runners scored in back-to-back at-bats after a pair of errors allowed Hoare and Vile to reach base and record one RBI apiece.

The lead didn't last long, however, as Sean Sellers tripled and knocked in a run to help the Yellow Jackets score six runs in the third and fourth innings and claim a 6-2 lead. 

In the fifth inning, the Spartans were able to get one run back after Dan Errico ripped a run-scoring double down the left field line, but it wasn't enough as LeTourneau captured its second win of the season with a 6-3 victory.

Christian Baker struck out seven batters with just one earned run to record his first win of the season for LeTourneau, while Luke Salerno took the loss after giving up five earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched. Scott Michaels and Michael LaBeau, meanwhile, both made relief apperances, combining to toss 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball for Castleton.

The Spartans are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 pm when they square off with the University of Dallas on Crusader Field.