CASTLETON, Vt. - The Castleton University softball team racked up 32 hits over two games to earn a pair of victories over intrastate rival Norwich Monday afternoon at Spartan Field. After cruising to a dominant five-inning victory in Game 1, the Spartans erased an eight-run deficit to win Game 2 in extras and secure the sweep.
Castleton 12, Norwich 1
The Spartans (13-8, 4-2 LEC) needed just four innings of at-bats to plate 12 runs and collect 16 total hits. Winning via mercy rule after the fifth, Castleton put up nine runs over the first two innings and tacked on three more in the fourth.
Norwich (8-14) opened the scoring in the top of the first, but the Spartans evened the score after
Hannah Mosher drove a triple to right center that scored
Kate LaPan. Castleton would lead 4-1 by the end of the frame thanks to five timely hits.
Mosher notched her second extra-base hit of the day in Castleton's five-run second inning. She and LaPan scored on
Allison Almond's single to center field. Back-to-back hits by
Machaila Arjavich and
Makenna Thorne hiked the Spartans' lead to 9-1.
Madison Hanna, LaPan, and Mosher each drove in runs in the fourth to deliver the decisive 12-1 margin.
Olivia Joy allowed the early Cadet run, but settled in to toss four innings with five hits allowed, earning her fifth win of the season. Arjavich entered the circle for the final inning and surrendered two hits, but kept Norwich off the board.
Eight different Spartans registered a hit, including seven with at least two. LaPan led the team in hits, going 3-for-4 at the plate. Almond notched a team-high three RBIs. Sydney Wood and Maren McGinn chipped in with two hits apiece for the Cadets.
Castleton 10, Norwich 9
Castleton found itself trailing 9-2 after the top of the third, but began to chip away with a much-needed three-run fourth. Thorne and
Jess Heinrichs started the inning with back-to-back singles, with Thorne eventually crossing the plate on Arjavich's fielder's choice. LaPan and Mosher strung together consecutive hits to bring the Spartans within four.
Jamie Boyle reached on an error and Mosher scored, making it a three-run ballgame.
LaPan, who posted seven hits between the two games, helped the Spartans tally their lone run in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Arjavich.
In the seventh inning that saw Castleton force extras, Mosher knocked in
Blake Riche with a double to bring the score to 9-8. The Spartans would then execute a double steal between Mosher and Almond, tying the game and forcing extra innings.
Kylie Wright and the Castleton defense forced Norwich to strand the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth, giving the hosts a chance to win in walk-off fashion. Wright had the lone hit of the inning, but Castleton eventually saw the bases loaded with no outs. Heinrichs reached on a fielder's choice as Boyle was gunned at home for the first out. Arjavich would then be hit by a pitch to score Wright, who represented the winning run.
Wright also earned the win in the circle, shutting out the Cadets over the final five innings. She allowed just four hits and fanned two en route to her fifth win of the season.
Once again, LaPan led a 16-hit effort, this time putting together a 4-for-5 performance. Wright and Mosher smacked three hits each, while Thorne had two. Laura Deaton led Norwich with three hits.
The Spartans return to Little East Conference play Thursday, April 21 when they travel to Plymouth State for a twinbill, which is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
