CASTLETON, Vt. – It took 18 innings for the Vermont State University Castleton and UMass Dartmouth softball teams to complete their Little East Conference twinbill Wednesday at Spartan Field; the Spartans took Game 1, 9-2, while the Corsairs won the nightcap, 11-9.
The VTSU Castleton (16-16, 5-9 LEC) offense was highlighted by Samera Rideout's seven hits and two doubles as Madison Gould tallied six knocks with a two-bagger, driving in three runs. Abby Hacker finished with five hits and two RBIs – she and Rideout both had a four-hit Game 2, marking their career highs. Allie Almond came across on four occasions as the senior infielder had four hits with a ribbie. Brianna Belisle, Alexis Rogers, and Masson Billert also ended the day with multiple base knocks.
Game 1: VTSU Castleton 9, UMass Dartmouth 2
Madison Gould used a masterful two-run, two-strikeout complete game to bag the opener victory, moving up to fourth all-time with 11 wins this season.
After consecutive hits from the 2-3-4 hitters, Taylor Russell got the Spartans on the board with a fielder's choice to third base that brought Almond home.
The Corsairs (24-12, 10-6 LEC) took over the lead following a three-hit frame of their own, sending Castleton back to the plate with a 2-1 deficit.
In the bottom of the third, the Spartan bats began to warm up as Belisle walked and Almond singled through the left side. Rogers clocked a base hit to the right-center gap, plating Belisle to even the score. Russell drew a walk and Gould drilled a two-RBI single, driving in the go-ahead runs.
UMass Dartmouth placed runners in scoring position as a walk loaded the bases in the fourth stanza, but Gould forced a fly out to Russell in center field to halt the surge. In the home half, a pair of Spartans were awarded free bases which positioned Rideout to drop a single into left-center as an errant throw sent one runner home. Rogers pushed a grounder to second base, picking up an RBI as Almond dashed across.
The Spartans rose to the occasion again in the fifth inning after a Gould leadoff single and Billert bunt got runners on the corners. Mikayla Brightman shot a sac fly to right field, buying enough time for Gould to extend the lead to five. Next up was Hacker who walloped an RBI single to give the hosts an 8-2 advantage heading into the sixth.
Gould allowed two hits but left both runners aboard in the visiting half before doubling in the home side to collect an RBI. The Whitehall, N.Y. product toed the rubber for the seventh, working around a lone hit to snare a vital league triumph.
Game 2: UMass Dartmouth 11, VTSU Castleton 9
Katie Gallagher tallied the contest's first three outs before giving way to Trista DeLong who held the Corsairs to two hits over five innings. Gould reappeared in the circle to close it out, muffling the visitors with one hit, one earned run, one walk, and six strikeouts during the final five frames.
UMassD's Kinu Takasugi opened the finale with a single and took second on a sac bunt. The Corsairs strung together three consecutive hits to score twice in the first half-inning. The following stanza saw the first two Corsairs reach base as Takasugi struck again with a two-RBI double. A wild pitch and groundout allowed the sophomore to score, extending the Corsair lead to 5-0.
Rideout launched a double while Gould notched a single with one away in the third. The Spartans capitalized as Russell skied a sac fly to send Rideout home, then Brightman scorched a ball over the center fielder's head for an RBI triple.
Three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth for UMassD threatened to put the ballgame out of reach. However, the Spartans embarked on an incredible sixth-inning comeback capped by a two-RBI single from Belisle to tie proceedings at 9-9.
Gould took the reins in the seventh, fanning two to bring the green and white back on offense. Rideout wore a pitch, Gould tapped a bunt single, and Russell sacrificed to move the runners over. Brightman lifted a sacrificial fly ball to right field that aimed to end it, but the hurl from Takasugi to Olivia Silvia at the plate was on time, sending the contest to extras.
Both squads struggled to get the bats rolling until the conference's tiebreaker rule went into effect for the 10th, putting the previous batter on second base. Gould muffled the Corsairs in the top half as Billert and Hacker singled in the bottom, but an unlucky double play foiled the Spartan rally.
Thanks to a leadoff sac bunt and single, UMassD broke the stalemate by stacking two runs in the top of the 11th. Rideout and Russell worked walks to load the bases, but Kaitlyn Shirshac finalized a Corsair win with a strikeout.
The Spartans wrap up regular-season play with their Senior Day on Saturday, May 4 against Rhode Island College. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m.
