PLYMOUTH, N.H. - The Castleton University softball team salvaged a doubleheader split with a thrilling Game 2 victory Thursday afternoon at Plymouth State.
Kylie Wright pitched the entirety of the marathon nightcap, while
Hannah Mosher drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th.
Plymouth State 6, Castleton 2
The Spartans (14-9, 5-3 LEC) led midway through the opener, but weren't able to hold off the Panthers, who posted six unanswered runs. Castleton opened the scoring in third inning when
Jess Heinrichs reached base on a sacrifice bunt attempt due to a throwing error and
Makenna Thorne, who led off the inning with a double, crossed the plate. Heinrichs would score just two batters later thanks to
Kate LaPan's single.
Plymouth State (11-16, 5-5 LEC) answered with two runs of its own in the home half of the third, capped by a two-out double-steal.
Castleton put runners on first and third in the top of the fourth, but wasn't able to plate a run. The Panthers would then take the lead later that inning before embarking on a three-run fifth.
The Spartans notched just four hits against Plymouth starter Nicole LeBrun, who went a full seven innings in the circle. Thorne, LaPan, Wright, and Mosher had one hit each. The Panthers, with 11 total hits, were led by Mia Ly with three.
Olivia Joy made her 10th start of the season and allowed two earned runs through four innings.
Katie Gallagher and
Jess Heinrichs both saw one inning in relief. Heinrichs dealt a hitless sixth.
Castleton 6, Plymouth State 5
Castleton raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first two innings. Heinrichs delivered a one-out triple in the second and scored on LaPan sacrifice fly.
Kayla Fac, who drew a walk after Heinrichs' three-bagger, took advantage of a couple Panther throwing errors to cross the plate.
Jamie Boyle put the Spartans on the board in the first inning with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Mosher.
Plymouth State narrowed the lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning before a three-run fifth put the Panthers ahead 5-3, but Castleton would respond with a pair of runs in the seventh to level the score at 5-5. A single by Wright, the third of three consecutive Spartan hits, drove in the two crucial runs. Wright would go on to set the Panthers down in order and force extras.
Neither side was able gain the upper-hand in the first two extra frames, but Castleton claimed a 6-5 lead in the top half of the 10th. Mosher drove a two-out triple to right center, scoring Heinrichs, who was placed on second base via the international tie-breaker. Wright kept the Panthers off the board in the last of the 10th as the game was capped by a double play.
Mosher, Boyle, Heinrichs, and
Machaila Arjavich paced the resurgent Spartan offense with two hits apiece as the team totaled 12. Wright pitched all 10 innings, logging double-digit frames in the circle for a second time this season
Castleton is set to host Rhode Island College Saturday, April 23 and will honor its seniors prior to the opening game, which begins at 1 p.m. Sunday's home doubleheader against UMass Dartmouth will serve as the Strike Out Cancer Games.
