Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Castleton softball team hit the road to take on reigning LEC Champions Eastern Connecticut in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, dropping a close Game 1, 4-3 before suffering the series sweep with a 10-0 Game 2 loss.
 
Castleton 3, Eastern Connecticut 4
 
Saturday's opener was as close a game as the Spartans (10-10, 3-3 LEC) have played all season. The Warriors held a slight 8-7 advantage in hits, with Castleton tying the game in the top of the seventh inning before Eastern Connecticut (14-8, 6-0 LEC) claimed the win in walk-off fashion.
 
Olivia Joy made the start in the circle for the Spartans, allowing seven hits and three runs — just one earned — across five innings before Alexis Rogers entered in relief, tossing one and a third innings, with the lone hit she gave up serving as the game-winner.
 
Castleton struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing off of consecutive singles from Kate LaPan and Hannah Mosher to put two on early. Another single from Samera Rideout loaded the bases before a fourth base knock by Rogers put the Spartans ahead 2-0. Joy, meanwhile, was excellent in the circle for Castleton, allowing just one hit across three innings before the Warriors finally broke the scoring drought with a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth to make it a one-run game.
 
After the Spartans went down in the fifth, it was Eastern Connecticut taking their first lead of the day, capitalizing on a string of hits to jump ahead 3-2. The home team threatened to extend their lead in the sixth, cranking two singles to lead off the inning, but Rogers entered the game and struck out the side to keep the deficit to just one.
 
Needing a run to extend the game, Mosher led off the inning with a triple to right center. The hit was Mosher's third of the season, as the graduate student went a perfect 3-3 in Game 1. Two at-bats later, Mosher crossed home plate on an Eastern Connecticut error to tie the game at 3-3.
 
The Warriors started the home half with the top of their lineup, drawing a leadoff walk before a sac bunt moved the runner to second. A wild pitched moved Eastern's Emma Marelli to third, setting up Victoria Heaphy to hit a walk-off double, handing Castleton the 4-3 loss.
 
Castleton 0, Eastern Connecticut 10
 
Unforced errors were the story of Game 2, as the Spartans committed two crucial fielding errors while their pitchers combined to walk eight batters. Despite allowing just six hits, the faults led to 10 Warriors runs as Castleton fell to the mercy rule after five innings.
 
Rogers made the start in the circle for the Spartans, allowing one run in just a third of an inning before being forced to exit with an injury. Alexandra Brouillette entered in relief, tossing a strong second inning before struggling in the third, allowing five runs on three hits. Katie Gallagher took her place to finish the inning, letting four more runs cross home plate before the inning finally came to an end with Eastern Connecticut putting up nine runs.
 
Castleton tried to get things going in the fourth with Allison Almond drawing a leadoff walk, but a double play ended the inning before the Spartans were retired in order in the top of the fifth, resulting in the 10-0 loss. This was the fourth game of the season that Castleton was held without a run, and first in which they did not register a hit.
 
The Spartans will look to bounce back Tuesday, April 18 when they host Plymouth State. First pitch of the LEC doubleheader is set for 3 p.m.