TROY, N.Y. - Seeing action for the first time in nearly a month, the Castleton University softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Saturday afternoon.
Jamie Boyle and
Allison Almond highlighted a close Game 2 battle with solo home runs.
RPI 6, Castleton 1
The Engineers (8-8) used a three-run fourth inning to expand their 1-0 early advantage. A pair of insurance runs would sink the Spartans in the fifth inning.
Castleton (6-3), who acted as the home team in both ends of the twinbill, was led by
Kylie Wright with two hits, including a double and an RBI.
Hannah Mosher,
Machaila Arjavich,
Makenna Thorne, and Almond each knocked one apiece as the team collected six hits. Starting pitcher
Olivia Joy tossed four innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits. The Spartans used a combination of
Katie Gallagher and Arjavich for the remainder of Game 1.
Three Engineers garnered multi-hit performances, while Liz Vizzini posted two doubles and three RBIs to support winning pitcher Erika Holowka, who threw a complete game and struck out 11.
RPI 3, Castleton 2
Castleton battled from behind to tie the game in the fifth inning thanks to Almond's first career home run. Boyle's shot, her first of the season and sixth of her career, put the Spartans on the board just an inning prior as the catcher belted a full-count offering over the left field fence.
RPI's sixth-inning tally was the difference as the Engineers took a 3-2 lead when Caroline Peel reached on an error and Brooke Scroczinski scored the go-ahead run. Thorne drove a two-out triple to right field in Castleton's half of the sixth, but wasn't able to cross the plate.
The Spartans matched their Game 1 total with six hits, led by Boyle with two. RPI totaled 10 hits, with four different batters notching two. Wright took the loss in the circle for the Spartans despite allowing just two earned runs in seven innings. RPI's starter Alexis Cooke pitched five innings to earn the win.
Next up for Castleton is a trip to Skidmore on Tuesday, March 29 as the Spartans battle the Thoroughbreds in a doubleheader with the opener beginning at 3 p.m.
