MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The Vermont State University Castleton softball team rallied to a 5-4 game-one triumph as Middlebury took the nightcap, 6-1, forcing a doubleheader split Wednesday.
Samera Rideout powered the VTSU Castleton (6-4) offense with four hits and two RBIs. Brianna Belisle also drove home a pair of runners with two hits in the opening duel. Alexis Rogers connected on an RBI base knock as Taylor Russell, Masson Billert, Madison Gould, and Abby Hacker recorded one hit apiece.
Game 1: VTSU Castleton 5, Middlebury 4
Trista DeLong spent 4.1 innings in the circle, retiring two Panthers (7-5) on strikes in her third start as a Spartan. Gould took the reins from the fifth frame onward, stranding six runners with four strikeouts to hold Middlebury scoreless and earn the victory.
The Panthers leapt ahead first, scratching one run across in the second inning but the Spartans retaliated in the ensuing stanza. Billert barreled a single through the left side and Hacker laid down a bunt which featured an errant throw, allowing both to stay aboard. A sacrifice bunt from Allie Almond put the duo in scoring position, setting up Belisle to drive them in with a deposit down the left field line.
The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the fifth when Cece Ziegler tripled and Kristyn Carroll doubled, tying the contest at 2-2. McKenna Lont provided the go-ahead RBIs soon after Gould toed the rubber as the rookie kept the Panthers off the board for the rest of the frame.
In the visiting half of the seventh, Maddie Wilson and Hacker reached on walks but the Spartans were down to their final out. Belisle wore a pitch to load the bases as Rideout ripped a ball to left field, scoring two to level proceedings at 4-all. Rogers, who has exhibited clutch hitting in the young season, found the left-center gap and brought Belisle home to take the lead.
Gould worked around a leadoff single in the bottom half and put away the next three Panthers to open the day in victorious fashion.
Game 2: Middlebury 6, VTSU Castleton 1
Katie Gallagher started the second matchup, tossing three innings before DeLong returned to pick up a strikeout in the last two stanzas.
Gould kicked off the second frame with a single and ventured into scoring position thanks to Jess Heinrichs' sac bunt. Wilson grounded out to third base which ushered Gould to third, then an errant throw from first base brought her home. However, Middlebury answered by erupting in the home half with five hits including three doubles, plating four to command a three-run lead.
Lont extended the Panther edge to five with an RBI two-bagger in the fourth as the Spartans got two quick outs to limit the damage.
The Spartans began to create offense in the sixth inning as Rideout pushed a leadoff single to right-center andoi Rogers took her place on a fielder's choice. Despite the late effort, fog and darkness overtook the diamond which caused officials to call the game and finalize a 6-1 win for the Panthers.
Castleton is back in action tomorrow (March 28) at RPI for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
