DARTMOUTH, Mass. — The Castleton baseball team collected its second Little East Conference victory Saturday, going 1-1 in a twin bill at UMass Dartmouth, winning 5-1 before falling 13-6.
Jackson Cardozo went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a homer in the first contest before reaching via hit-by-pitch in his lone plate appearance in game two. Kannon Dush tallied base hits in both games, going 3-for-8 with an RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases. Tyler McLain and Evan Keegan had two hits apiece as McLain and Hunter Perkins provided the Spartans' (10-15, 2-7 LEC) two doubles of the afternoon.
Game 1: Castleton 5, UMass Dartmouth 1
Riley Orr filled the starting role for Castleton in the opening duel, battling an explosive Corsair (13-12, 4-5 LEC) offense that added nine hits during Orr's six-inning performance. The Queensbury, N.Y. native limited UMD to one run with one walk, striking out five hitters. Adam Winchell hurled the seventh stanza, earning a K while allowing just one base runner. Closing it out, nearly within save territory, was Brayden Howrigan who kept the final two innings scoreless.
Following the Corsairs' first chance at the plate where Orr left two stranded, Cardozo led off the second inning with an opposite-field blast to take a 1-0 advantage. Dush and Reece de Castro got aboard via a single and walk in the third frame, scoring thanks to Keegan forcing an error and Cardozo knocking an RBI single.
As the Corsairs continued to commit errors, the Spartans kept adding to their lead. Schaub wore a pitch with one out in the fourth, moving into second base after a groundout. The senior catcher came across when Ryan Lawrence forced an E3 by UMD, upping the score to 4-0. The home team made a charge in the bottom half after the first two batters reached, but Orr and company got out of the jam with two in scoring position.
Another unearned run would score for Castleton in the sixth when Perkins' leadoff two-bagger was followed by Schaub laying down a bunt to the pitcher. The throw was errant, plating Perkins to extend the gap to five. UMD strung together a double and a single in the home half, getting the run back.
Although the bats cooled down in the final three stanzas, efficient pitching by Winchell and Howrigan held off the Corsairs, allowing the Spartans to pocket a game-one W.
Game 2: UMass Dartmouth 13, Castleton 6
Despite not giving out a free pass, Aubrey Ramey allowed 12 hits with seven earned runs and a strikeout in a 3.2-inning start. A trio of relievers saw action for Castleton, including Jack Callahan who logged a punch-out during his 2.0 innings of work.
An RBI single and a three-run homer allowed the Corsairs to claim a 4-0 lead in the first frame. The hosts brought home two more in the third as the Spartans got a run back in the ensuing half-inning. Keegan began the stanza with a single as pinch-hitting Jack Boyle reached via fielder's choice, moving to second after a throwing error stemming from a double play attempt. McLain forced another error from the middle infield, scoring Boyle to cut the gap to 6-1.
However, UMD scored twice in the fourth, once in the fifth, and two more times in the sixth. Entering the seventh inning with an 11-1 deficit, the Spartans refused a run-rule as leadoff hits by Dush and Lawrence produced RBIs by Perkins and Keegan. In the bottom half, Callahan started his outing by retiring the side in order.
Starting off the eighth, Boyle got plunked then scored after a pair of singles, making it an 11-4 ballgame. A two-RBI hit by the Corsairs in the home half pushed the lead to nine. McLain roped a two-out double to plate Boyle and Jared Cafasso in the ninth, but the late charge would not be enough as UMD took the matinee, 13-6.
The Spartans are back in action tomorrow, April 16 for a non-conference twin bill at New England College. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for noon.
