WATERVILLE, Maine – The Castleton softball team picked up a pair of crucial North Atlantic Conference victories on Monday afternoon, taking both ends of a doubleheader on the road at Thomas College.

The Spartans (15-7-1, 7-1 NAC) opened the day with a narrow, 3-2 win over the Terriers (6-20, 2-4 NAC) before capping off the afternoon with a 9-0 shutout in six innings. Castleton outhit Thomas 20-10 on the day, and took advantage of the Terriers' miscues by scoring three unearned runs on seven Thomas errors.

Sami Carlo, Jordan Gouger, Sara Baker and Timi Carone all had three hits on the day, while Karli Theberge, Briley Blackbird and Tori Swaine chipped in with two hits apiece. Gouger and Baker both drove in three runs to lead the Spartans, with Gouger's RBIs coming on her first career home run—a three-run shot. Kayla Wood and Taylor Paquette each tossed complete games in the circle, as Wood earned her fifth win of the season, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits in 7.0 innings with six strikeouts. Paquette continued her masterful season, winning her conference-leading 10th game this year, allowing just three hits over a six-inning shutout—her first of the season.

Madison Bentz, Lexi Colpack and Lauren Farina all tallied a pair of hits for Thomas over the twin bill, with Colpack and Courtney Veilleux driving in the Terriers' runs. Sydney LeBourveau suffered the loss in game one, tossing all seven innings and allowing just two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Chelsea Hale shouldered the loss in game two, going 5.1 innings and allowing eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits and a walk before being relieved by Haley Littlefield. Littlefield worked 0.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits to finish the game.

Thomas got on the board first in game one, as LeBourveau set down Castleton in order in the top of the first inning. The Terriers pushed across a run on a sacrifice fly by Veilleux in the bottom of the inning, giving the hosts a brief, 1-0 lead.

Castleton answered with the tying run in the second inning, as Swaine singled into right field before advancing to third on a single by Gouger. Swaine then scored on a ground ball by Theberge, making it a 1-1 game after two innings.

Wood settled in after the first inning, shutting the Terriers down until the last half, giving Castleton a chance to take the lead in the middle innings. The Spartans took advantage of Wood's dazzling performance, plating a go-ahead run in the fourth inning on a two-out double by Blackbird that scored McKinlie Carpenter.

Going into the final frame with just a one-run lead, Baker helped Castleton tally an insurance run when she sent a one-out double into right field to score Carlo, extending the lead to two runs at 3-1. The run proved to be crucial, as Thomas threatened a comeback in the last half of the game.

Farina led off the inning with a double before being pinch ran for by Sarahjane Call. Wood induced a fly outs from the next two batters, but Colpack came through with an RBI single to halve the lead to one run, 3-2, with two outs. Wood buckled down, getting the last batter to pop out to end the game and seal the win.

Paquette was just as dominant as Wood in the second game of the day, as the Spartans spotted her all the run support she needed in the top of the first. Castleton jumped out to a four-run lead behind the strength of four hits and an error. The first three batters of the game reached base with base hits, with Carone scoring on a wild pitch to give Castleton a 1-0 lead. After a pop out, Gouger stepped up to the plate and deposited a ball over the left field fence for a three-run shot to make it 4-0 after the top half of the first.

Paquette cruised through the first two innings, allowing just one base runner in each frame. Castleton added to its lead in the third inning, when Theberge scored on an error by Thomas to make it 5-0.

The Spartans capped the game with a four-run sixth inning, giving them a 9-0 lead and enacting the eight-run rule to finish the contest after six innings. Baker opened the scoring in the inning with a two-run double into the corner in left field, before Swaine drove her in with a base hit into center field. Carpenter capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-0, and Paquette retired the side in order to end the contest early in the bottom of the inning.

Castleton returns to the diamond in a home doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon against NAC foe and in-state rival Lyndon at 3:30 p.m.