HAMPTON, Va. – The Castleton baseball team struggled to get things going in their double-header against The Apprentice School Friday afternoon, falling 4-3 in the day's opening game before suffering the sweep with a 2-0 loss in the Game 2.
Game 1: Castleton 3, The Apprentice School 4
The Spartans (3-5) got on the board first in Friday's opener, with a two-RBI single from
Jake O'Brien giving Castleton a 2-0 lead in the third inning. The junior continued his strong start to the season, in which he ranks third on the team in batting average (.269) and hits (7), and shares the team lead in RBIs (4) through eight games.
On the mound,
Zack Marlow looked strong for Castleton. In his first start of the season, the senior threw four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three batters.
Aubrey Ramey entered in relief to start the fifth inning, and after a near-perfect start to the season, struggled against a red-hot Builders team.
The sophomore allowed a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings — just the first he has allowed through four appearances this year — to give The Apprentice School a 4-2 lead.
The Spartans tacked on a third run in the top of the seventh inning, but their comeback effort fell short as the Builders' Logan Mize came in to record the final out and hand Castleton the one-run loss.
Game 2: Castleton 0, The Apprentice School 2
After racking up eight hits compared to six for The Apprentice School in Game 1, Castleton was held to just four hits in the back half of Friday's games.
Ryan Lawrence put together his third multi-hit performance in four games Friday night, going 2-2, but the Spartans were unable to make anything of it in their first shutout loss of the season.
Castleton threw several looks at The Apprentice School on the mound, with
Riley Orr getting things started with a scoreless first inning before four other pitchers went to work, but two runs allowed by freshman
Stephen Coffey in the second inning proved to be the difference-maker in the low scoring affair.
The Spartans will look to get back on track Sunday, March 13 with a matchup against Saint Vincent College. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
