NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Castleton University softball team, after going 3-1 in exhibitions, continued its hot play with a doubleheader sweep over Columbia International University on Saturday. 

The Spartans claimed the opener 7-3 with a win in the circle from Machaila Arjavich as well as a bases-clearing double. Then, the Castleton offense scored 13 times on 16 hits to win game two, 13-5.

Castleton (2-0) is scheduled to play Eastern Mennonite University Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and King's College (Pa.) at 1:30 p.m.

Castleton 7, Columbia International 3

Castleton made the most of its five hits to take the opener. Following walks to three of the first four hitters in the Spartan half of the first, Jamie Boyle hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Kate LaPan. After the bases were re-loaded following a walk to Devin Millerick, Arjavich launched a double over the left fielder's head to bring all three baserunners around to score.

Castleton tacked on one in the second on a Fish sacrifice fly to bring in LaPan, who deposited a one-out single to left earlier in the frame. 

The Rams answered with a run in the third when Tanaya Ellis hit a triple to right-center field and scored one batter later on an Alyssa Allender RBI ground out. Then, Shannon Patton hit a two-run double in the fifth to bring Columbia International (8-12) to within two. 

Castleton answered with two of their own in the home-half of the fifth. Sara Baker led off with a single down the line and pinch-runner Kennedy O'Dell stopped at third on a Fish double. O'Dell scored on a wild pitch, and Boyle hit a line-drive single to score Fish and complete the scoring. 

Kylie Wright worked two shutout innings in her first work of the spring. Arjavich went two more and surrendered a run on three hits to earn the win. Joy, making her collegiate debut, earned the save after tossing three innings. She allowed two hits and two unearned runs. 

Castleton 13, Columbia International 5

LaPan registered at least one RBI in four out of her five plate appearances and finished with five for the game. She was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run scored. Fish finished 3-for-5 with two batted in and a run. In addition, Millerick, Hannah Mosher, Kayla Fac, and Jayna Ryan all posted multi-hit performances.

Castleton jumped on top in the second when LaPan hit a single through the left side to bring in a run, while the second runner trying to score was gunned down at the plate. 

Back-to-back four-run innings in the fourth and the fifth gave the Spartans a nine-run cushion. All eight Spartan runs were scored without the strength of an extra-base hit.

CIU pushed off an early finish with two runs in the fifth. Castleton got one back in the sixth when LaPan walked with the bases loaded, but the Rams pushed it to the distance with a three-spot in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Millerick hit a two-run double and Fac hit a run-scoring double one batter later to complete the scoring. 

Joy started and allowed just one base-runner in a one-out single in the third. She went 2.2 innings and recorded one strikeout. Wright picked up her first win of the year in relief. She surrendered seven hits and five runs over 2.1 innings. Arjavich entered with runners on second and third with nobody out in the sixth inning and struck out three straight to end the threat. Then, she pitched a perfect seventh with another punch out to end it.