GORHAM, Maine -- The Castleton University baseball team suffered a second straight loss to Rhode Island College, falling 13-4 Saturday afternoon and dropping out of the Little East Conference (LEC) tournament at Ed Flaherty Field.
 
The Spartans fell behind early as the Anchormen jumped all over pitcher Max Olmsted during the first inning of play. The Anchormen tallied four hits in the top half of the inning, highlighted by a Jarrad Grossgroth two-run home run that powered the tournament's third-seeded team to a 3-0 lead. Before the Spartans recorded a hit, the Anchormen added three more in the fourth and fifth innings, extending the lead to 6-0.
 
Olmsted was the pitcher of record for the Spartans as he completed his final outing of the season, allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings of work.
 
The Spartans scored a run in the bottom half of the fifth inning, cutting the lead to 6-1. Armando Cardenas quickly worked his way around the bases as he punched a one-out single to center field, stole second, and advanced to third base on a balk on pitcher Andrew Sears. Cardenas tallied the Spartans' first run as he scored a Reece de Castro RBI single.
 
With the Anchormen leading 10-1 in the eighth inning, the Spartans continued to rally and cut the deficit to six. Nathan Kelley entered as a pinch-runner after Samuel Rodriguez earned a one-out walk and advanced to third base on a Ryan Lawrence double. Kelley scored during the next at-bat as Kannon Dush recorded an RBI groundout. De Castro followed with his second RBI of the game, a single through the right side of the infield, and Adam Newton later singled down the right-field line, scoring de Castro, to cut the lead to 10-4.
 
Three more runs were scored in the top half of the ninth inning as the Anchormen foiled the Spartans' rally. The Spartans were able to get one base runner aboard in the final frame but failed to complete the comeback.
 
With the loss today, Castleton concludes the 2021 season with a record of 9-23, while Rhode Island College moves on to play Southern Maine for a place in the LEC tournament final.