KEENE, N.H. - Castleton used a pair of eight-run performances to sweep a nonconference doubleheader at the Owl Athletic Complex Monday afternoon.
Miranda Fish led the charge in a dominant Game 1 triumph with three hits and two RBIs before the Spartans claimed a Game 2 thriller, 8-7.
Castleton 8, Keene State 0
The Spartans (9-5, 4-4 LEC) used explosive third and fourth innings to claim an 8-0 advantage over the Owls (1-13, 1-5 LEC) and end the opener in just five frames.
Jayna Ryan led off the third with a single.
Devin Millerick drew a walk before starting pitcher
Machaila Arjavich doubled to left field to score Ryan. Three straight singles from Fish,
Jamie Boyle and
Allison Almond put Castleton up 4-0.
Ryan also led off the fourth with a hit, earning her second multi-hit performance of the year.
Makenna Thorne reached on a bunt and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Earning her third hit of the day,
Miranda Fish smacked a double to right field to plate Millerick. Almond then reached on an error, scoring Fish, to create the commanding 8-0 lead.
Fish's three hits marked a season-high and tied her career-high.
Arjavich earned her second victory in the circle as she pitched all five innings. She allowed five hits and stranded seven baserunners in the shutout.
Castleton 8, Keene State 7
Once again, the Spartan bats came alive in the third. Castleton erased a 1-0 deficit with a three-run third inning effort. Thorne started the inning by notching her third triple of the season. She scored after Ryan singled. A double by Millerick scored Fish, who reached on a fielder's choice. Finally, Almond lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Millerick and putting the Spartans ahead 3-1.
The Owls punched back with two runs to tie the game in the next half inning. The 3-3 deadlock would last until the sixth, when freshman
Madison Hanna tallied her first career hit and came around to score. Castleton tacked on another when Boyle scored on a passed ball.
Holding a 5-3 lead, the Spartans kept slugging for a trio of insurance runs in the seventh. With runners on first and second, Hanna and Boyle ripped back-to-back doubles.
The Owls wouldn't go away. They tallied four runs in the seventh, but
Olivia Joy fended off the comeback attempt to preserve the win for
Katie Gallagher, who improved to 2-0 in the circle. She pitched three innings of scoreless action.
Olivia Bowen started and allowed three runs through three innings of work.
The Spartans totaled 10 hits in Game 2, including three from Thorne. The junior raised her batting average to .462, good for the team-lead and top-10 in the LEC. Boyle led the RBI category with two.
Castleton's pair of eight-run performances marked a season-high. Eight different Spartans tallied a hit between the two games.
The team returns to action Wednesday, traveling to Norwich for a twin bill. Game 1 is set for 2 p.m.
