CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton softball team advanced to the championship game of the North Atlantic Conference Championship Tournament on Friday evening, knocking off Thomas 6-1 in a battle of tournament-unbeatens at Spartan Field.

Chelsea Grady had a 2-for-4 game with a pair of runs for the 19-11 Spartans, including her seventh home run of the season in the win. Brittany Brayman also put forth a two-hit effort while scoring a run. Taylor Paquette picked up her sixth win of the season, working 4.1 innings and allowing one unearned run on just two hits and one walk. Kayla Wood worked 2.2 scoreless innings to tally her third save of the season.

Cassie Contigiani had the only two hits and the only run of the game for the Terriers (17-18), with one of the hits going for a double. Sonja Morse suffered the loss, working five innings and allowing five runs, three earned, with six strikeouts. Haley Littlefield pitched one inning and allowed one unearned run on one hit.

Grady led off the bottom of the second inning with homer over the left field wall to give the Spartans an early lead before Brayman followed with a walk and came around to score on a single by Sami Carlo for the 2-0 advantage after two.

Thomas got a run back in the top of the third, as Contigiani led off with a double to the wall in left. She advanced to third and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Lexi Colpack.

The Spartans responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-1 lead. Brayman and Grady each singled with one out to give the Spartans a pair of base runners. Katie Gagne followed with a one-run single and then with two down, Kristi Lawless singled home Grady.

In the fourth inning, Castleton tacked on another run to widen its lead to four runs. After a base hit and an error with two outs, Grady bounced into a fielder's choice, but the Terriers mishandled it, allowing Jessica Babcock to come around to score and make it a 5-1 game.

The Spartans notched one final run in the sixth inning, when Babcock scored on a throwing error to give the game its final score of 6-1.

Castleton will face the winner of the matchup between Thomas and Husson. The elimination game is scheduled for 2:00 pm, with Castleton slated to play at 4:00 pm.