ANNADALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- Led by a massive offensive spark, the Castleton University baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Bard College Sunday afternoon at Honey Field. With the two wins today, the Spartans improve to 6-4 on the young season while the Raptors fall to 0-4.

Castleton 23, Bard 14 (seven innings) 

In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Spartans fell behind early as Zack Marlow earned the start on the mound. As the Spartans went down 1-2-3 in the top half of the first inning, the Raptors went to work in the bottom half. Joe Barcia led off the inning with a leadoff single up the middle followed by an Alex Luscher walk. The Raptors tallied the first run of the game the very next batter as Justin Fiume knocked an RBI single to left field. After a Dillon Daine fly out, Esteban Rivera ripped a two-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Raptors a 3-0 lead.

The Spartans would answer in the second as Evan Keegan hit his first career home run over the left-field wall to cut the deficit to 3-1 heading into the bottom half of the second inning. The Raptors would break the game open, however, and take a commanding 8-1 lead as Marlow was pulled after two innings of work. The sophomore left hander's day ended as he gave up eight runs on eight hits.

The Spartans stormed back in the third inning as the bats came alive. Highlighted by a John Stewart III one-out home run over the right-field wall, the team would bat around the lineup; tallying nine runs on five hits to take a 10-8 lead. Jeremy Johnson, who continues to collect extra-base hits for the Spartans, tallied a two-out triple to center field that plated the final run of the inning.

With Garrett Moran on the mound in relief, the Raptors made it a one-score game after three full innings. The Spartans however, broke the game open in the fourth inning as the team plated six more runs. Daniel Petrie led off the inning as throwing error by the shortstop allowed him to reach first base. Petrie would score the very next batter as Stewart singled and Petrie scored on a fielding error by the right fielder, extending the lead to 11-9.

Keegan followed up with a two-run home run this time to left-center field as the Spartans began to pull away. Keegan, who recorded his first career multi-home run performance, finished the day with three hits, two walks, and three RBIs.

Moran earned the win for the Spartans as he pitched four innings, giving up six runs on seven hits while striking out six batters.

With the Spartans leading 16-9 heading into the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Raptors cut into the deficit as the team tallied three runs. After Moran gave up three straight doubles that added a run for the Raptors to start the inning, Sam Slackman grounded out to the pitcher as the deficit was cut to 16-11. Robert Arciola would add an RBI sacrifice fly as the Raptors trailed 16-12 heading into the fifth inning.

The Spartans outscored the Raptors 7-2 during the final three innings as the Spartans solidified the win as the team tallied five runs in the top half of the seventh inning. Davis Mikell, who recorded seven RBIs in the first game of the doubleheader, ripped a two-RBI single to start the scoring in the seventh inning.

As the Spartans added four more runs in the seventh, every single starter scored at least one run as the team has tallied 20 or more runs in two games this season. The last time the Spartans recorded two 20 run wins in a single season was back in 2008 where the team defeated Thomas (ME) 21-11 and Maine-Presque Isle 25-4.

Adam Newton would shut the door on the Raptors as he pitched a near-perfect seventh inning. The freshman right-hander gave up just one hit, one walk, and struck out two batters.

Castleton 9, Bard 3 (seven innings)

After getting roughed up in his last outing against Union, Mikell earned his third start this season on the mound and pitched a gem. The senior right-hander pitched all seven innings, earning the win while giving up only three runs on ten hits and striking out seven batters.

The Spartans took the early lead as the team registered five walks from staring pitcher Elliot Goldstein to plate two runs before even tallying a hit. The Raptors, however, would cut the lead in half as the team led off the bottom half of the inning with a Barcia single to right field. After Slackman was hit by a pitch, Rivera recorded an RBI single to left field that plated the first run for the Raptors.

The Spartans would extend the lead in the second inning when Ryan Lawrence worked a leadoff walk. Johnson, who went hitless for only the second time this season, walked on a 3-2 pitch followed by a Mikell walk to load the bases. On a 2-1 pitch, Petrie flew out to second base and an error by Arciola allowed Lawrence to score, giving the Spartans a 3-1 lead. An Addison Schaub bases-loaded walk and a passed ball plated two more runs for the Spartans in the inning as the team took a 5-1 lead.

After an intentional walk to Mikell in the top half of the third inning with one base runner already aboard, Petrie would help tally another run as he swung at the first pitch and drove an RBI single to right field, scoring Lawrence from second base. 

Three more runs were plated for the Spartans in the top half of the sixth inning and despite the Raptors adding one of their own in the bottom half of the inning, the Spartans claimed the doubleheader sweep.

Castleton returns to action Thursday, March 12 as it travels to Newport News, Virginia to take on Apprentice School with a first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.