FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Castleton baseball team wrapped up their Virginia road trip with a double-header against the University of Mary Washington Saturday afternoon, winning Game 1 by a score of 4-1 before dropping the rematch 17-4.
Game 1: Castleton 4, Mary Washington 1
Things got off to a fast start for the Spartans (2-2) in Game 1, as leadoff man
Hunter Perkins got on base and advanced to second on a throwing error. After a sacrifice bunt from
Reece de Castro moved Perkins to third, the junior crossed home on an RBI grounder from
Evan Keegan to open up the scoring.
Castleton got their lead up to two in the top of the second after
Jackson Cardozo doubled down the left field line to score
Zac Willis. Cardozo got to third on a fielder's choice but was left on base after de Castro flew out to left to end the frame.
On the mound,
Riley Orr (1-1) made his second start of the season and looked dominant, striking out the first four batters he faced, allowing just one earned run through five innings of work.
The Spartans added two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings after
Evan Keegan scored on a wild pitch and Cardozo scored his own run on an RBI double from Perkins to make it 4-1, before
Aubrey Ramey earned his first save of the year, pitching two scoreless innings. The sophomore looked great in his second appearance, allowing one hit and striking out five of the six batters he retired.
Game 2: Castleton 4, Mary Washington 17
Compared to the day's first game, the rematch between the Spartans and Eagles looked completely different. Castleton had the early chance to take the lead in the first with the bases loaded, but Mary Washington was able to pick off
Jake O'Brien at first, leaving de Castro and Keegan stranded.
The Spartans capitalized in the second inning, scoring two runs thanks to an RBI single from Perkins and a throwing error that allowed de Castro to get to first, but the Eagles had an answer, scoring four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to give them a 6-2 lead.
Max Olmsted (0-2) struggled in his second start of the year, allowing six runs — five earned — through three innings. After Olmsted came out, however, was when the flood gates opened.
Mary Washington scored 10, runs in the fifth inning, including eight on
Trevor Corlew, that proved to be the difference maker. The Spartans would tack on a couple more runs of their own in the sixth and ninth innings, but the Eagles lead was too much to overcome, resulting in the 17-4 loss.
Castleton is back in action next weekend to take on Eastern Nazarene College in a double-header Saturday, Feb. 26. The day's first game is set for 12:00 p.m.
