PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Vermont State University Castleton baseball team split twin bill with Rhode Island College.
VTSU Castleton (9-29, 5-11) dueled with Rhode Island College (16-17, 6-10) in an electric doubleheader afternoon. The two teams entered the day fighting for the last playoff spot in the Little East Conference.
GAME 1: VTSU Castleton 10, Rhode Island 9
The Anchormen came out swinging and set the stage with seven runs on eight hits to take a commanding lead in the second inning. Kannon Dush knocked his third home run of the season to give Castleton their first run of the game. Rhode Island's Parker Camelo collected two more runs for the Anchormen to put them up 9-1 at the end of the fifth inning. Sam Crawford led the Spartans on the mound, dealing six strikeouts with three walks and nine earned runs in six innings of action.
Despite the lead, the Spartans weren't out of this game. With runners on first and second, Hunter Perkins hit an RBI single to generate some momentum in the seventh inning for the Spartans. At the next at-bat, Jack Boyle singled to center field to send Turner Clews home and add to Castleton's score. Perkins capitalized on a wild pitch from the Anchormen to secure another run for the team. Jackson Cardozo capped off the inning with a single down to left field, sending Boyle home to trail 9-5.
Nick Lescarbeau relieved Crawford in the seventh inning to help prevent the Anchormen from extending their lead. He delivered two strikeouts, one hit, and zero runs in his two-inning tenure to keep the Spartans hopes alive entering the final inning.
With Clews and Dush walked and Perkins being hit by a pitch, VTSU Castleton found themselves with the bases loaded at the top of the ninth inning. Boyle sent a hard-hit ball up the middle to throw off the Anchormen bring in two runners and trail only by three. With Perkins and Boyle on the corners, Cardozo stepped up to the batter's box and crushed a ball over the right field fencing for a three-run home run to go up 10-9.
Owen Phelps took the mound looking to close out game one for the Spartans. He stepped up and sent the first batter packing with a strikeout. He then closed out the inning by providing a groundout play to second and causing the final batter to get out on a foul ball to earn the save and give Castleton the win in game one.
Game 2: Rhode Island 9, VTSU Castleton 8
With Castleton taking game one, the two teams would duel it out in game two for the final spot in the LEC playoffs.
Like game one, Rhode Island started hot with three runs on four hits in the opening inning. Mikey Raby Jr. responded for the Spartans with a double in the second inning to put two runners in scoring position. Clews sent Raby and Jared Cafasso home with a single to right field to get Castleton on the board and trail only by one.
Aubrey Ramey took the mound in game two for the Spartans, dealing three strikeouts, zero walks, and seven runs in five innings of action.
In the fourth inning, Raby hit his second double of the game to get himself into scoring position. Clews brought him in on a single to tie the game up three apiece. The Anchormen responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to go back up by two over the Spartans. Raby Jr continued to stay hot with the bat, this time providing an RBI single in the fifth inning to pull Castleton back within one.
The sixth inning was all action between both sides. Castleton put themselves in a great spot early with zero outs and bases loaded to begin the inning. Cardozo connected with a single to center field to advance the runners and secure a RBI. A pitching change was made for the Anchormen but that didn't stop Castleton from getting their runs. With great discipline at the plate, Brandon Ramirez took a walk to advance all runners and take the lead. Cafasso then hit a single to bring in two runners and extend Castleton's lead to eight.
Castleton also made a pitching change in the sixth inning and went to Phelps again to try to bring Castleton home with the win. However, Rhode Island was able to connect on pitches and find themselves with four runs on five hits to take back the lead.
After going back and forth through most of the game, each team finally was able to halt the other team's offense and hold each other scoreless through the final three innings. Castleton would fall short to the Anchormen 9-8 and be eliminated from the LEC playoffs.
The Spartans wrap up their season Saturday, May 4 against Plattsburgh State with games at 1 and 4 p.m.
