MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Castleton softball team's 2023 campaign came to a close Friday afternoon on Day 3 of the Little East Conference playoffs. The Spartans won their first game of the day against Rhode Island College 11-1 before suffering a season-ending, 10-1 loss to UMass Dartmouth.
 
Castleton 11, Rhode Island College 1
 
The Spartans (20-16, 9-7 LEC), opened up their third day of the tournament with a wire-to-wire win over fifth-seeded Rhode Island College. Olivia Joy threw her second complete game against the Anchorwomen (19-19, 8-8 LEC) in as many days, allowing one run on just two hits across five innings. The victory was the senior's ninth of the year, tying Kylie Wright's mark from a season ago for the ninth most wins in a single season in program history.
 
At the plate, Castleton had their way all day, with seven different players registering multiple hits en route to the team's highest total since their March 17^th win over Franciscan. Samera Rideout and Allison Almond each tallied a team-high three hits, while Miranda Fish racked up a team-best three RBIs to push her final season total to 25.
 
The Spartans came out of the gates swinging, with a leadoff triple by Hannah Mosher and a walk drawn by Kate LaPan putting runners on the corners immediately. The triple was Mosher's seventh of the season and 11^th of her career, marking the second most in a single season in program history and moving her into a tie for third all-time. With two on, Rideout, Alexis Rogers, and Almond each hit singles in consecutive at-bats to Castleton up 3-0 before a wild pitch scored Almond to make it a four-run opening inning for the Spartans.
 
Castleton added a run in both the second and third innings on RBIs from Almond and Mosher to put them ahead 6-0 before a three-run fourth put the game out of reach.
 
Almond got things started with a single to Rhode Island's pitcher, scoring on an RBI double from Fish. Alexandra Brouillette tallied her second hit of the day on the next at-bat, ripping a double to center field that would score Fish, before the freshman crossed home plate herself after a pair of wild pitches to put the Spartans ahead 9-0.
 
The Anchorwomen prevented the shutout with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but a pair of insurance runs for Castleton in the top of the fifth once again all but secured the victory. With a chance to close out the game, Joy retired Rhode Island's batters in order to clinch the win and a chance to play for a spot in the championship game.
 
Castleton 1, UMass Dartmouth 10
 
Playing for the second time Friday, the Spartans found themselves down early and were never able to recover en route to the difficult 10-1 loss. Lauren Ross made her fifth collegiate start, allowing three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of work. Joy re-entered Friday's second game in relief, allowing four runs in 2.2 innings before Brouillette, Rogers, and Katie Gallagher combined for the final 2.2 innings. Five different Castleton players registered a hit, with LaPan tallying the Spartans' lone RBI.
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Corsairs (28-12, 12-4 LEC) scored three in the second, tacking on another run in the third to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Castleton looked to respond in the home half of the third, loading the bases after a pair of walks drawn by LaPan and Rideout and a single by Rogers, but an infield grounder that ricocheted off the pitcher led to a force out at second to end the inning and keep the Spartans off the board.
 
UMass Dartmouth added runs in the fourth and fifth to go ahead 8-0 and force Castleton to plate a run in the bottom of the inning or else fall to the run rule, but the Spartans answered to force a sixth inning.
 
After Fac popped up to the shortstop, Mosher tallied her first hit of the game — a double to left field — to keep Castleton alive. The hit was the graduate student's 100^th career base knock and 43^rd of the year, tying her for the fifth-most in a single season and making her just the 13^th Spartan in program history to reach the century mark. Mosher advanced to third on a wild pitch before LaPan hit a hard grounder to second that forced a throw to first and allowed Mosher to cross home plate.
 
Looking to cut into the lead once again after holding UMass Dartmouth without a run in the sixth, Allison Almond hit a one-out triple to left center. On the ensuing at-bat, however, Fish hit a bouncer to third, allowing the Corsairs to tag Almond before she could get back to the bag to end the threat.
 
UMass Dartmouth added another pair in the seventh to put the Spartans down 10-1, and despite getting two runners on in the home half, Castleton could not convert, resulting in the season-ending loss.
 
The Spartans' nine conference wins and 20 overall were the most since joining the Little East Conference in 2019, as Castleton has now come within one game of the championship game against host Eastern Connecticut in consecutive seasons.