TROY, N.Y. – The Castleton softball team hit the road for a doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Wednesday afternoon, dropping Game 1, 12-4 before suffering their first sweep of the season in a 6-4 Game 2 loss.
Castleton 4, RPI 12
Game 1 started off in the Engineers' favor, with RPI (8-4) scoring a pair of runs in the opening stanza to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Looking to stay close, the Spartans (3-5) responded with a run of their own on an RBI single from
Miranda Fish to make it a 2-1 game after one inning.
The Engineers extended their lead over the next two innings, adding four runs in the second before tacking on five more in the third to take a commanding 11-1 lead. Castleton cut into the deficit once again in the bottom of the third, with a trio of RBIs from
Allison Almond, Fish — who leads the team with 10 through eight games — and
Samera Rideout, but a run from RPI in the top of the fifth put Castleton down eight and forced the mercy-rule loss after five innings.
Olivia Joy (0-3) made the start in the circle for the Spartans, allowing six runs across two innings, with
Lauren Ross — five runs across one third of an inning — and
Dana Elkins — one run allowed through two and two thirds innings — each pitching in relief.
Castleton 4, RPI 6
RPI once again took the early lead in Wednesday's second game, scoring in each of the first three innings to go ahead 5-0 while the Spartans were held without a hit.
Castleton ended the drought in the fourth inning, before making a comeback attempt in the bottom of the fifth. Starting with freshman
Taylor Russell, four straight Spartans hit singles to the outfield to score the team's first run of the game. With the bases loaded, a two-run single from
Alexis Rogers made it a 5-3 game with two innings left.
The Engineers boosted their lead back to three with a run in the sixth, and despite another run crossing home on a Rogers at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, Castleton's comeback fell short in the 6-4 defeat.
Katie Gallagher (1-1) started in the circle for Game 2, giving up four runs across two innings before Rogers entered the game in relief, allowing two runs in five innings of work.
Castleton will look to get back in the win column Sunday, April 2 when they face off against UMass Dartmouth on the road. First pitch for the LEC-opening doubleheader is at 12 p.m.
