DANBURY, CONN. – The Vermont State University Castleton softball team earned a thrilling doubleheader sweep over Western Connecticut State University on Sunday afternoon, taking game one 7-6 and following it up with an 8-1 victory to improve to 2-0 in conference play.
Game 1
The Basics:
- Final Score: 7-6 Castleton
- Location: Danbury, Conn. | Westside Softball Field
- Records: 7-5 (2-0 LEC) Castleton | 2-10 (0-2 LEC)
How it Happened:
Castleton jumped out to an early lead in the first inning.
Madison Gould singled and
Alex Brouillette followed with a single of her own to advance her. After an error by the shortstop,
Makayla Walsh reached first, and
Alexis Rogers delivered a clutch double down the left-field line, scoring Brouillette and Gould to put Castleton up 2-0. West Conn quickly responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning, taking a 3-2 lead.
Castleton answered in the second as
Sami Horton reached on an error, advanced on
Caley Napoletano's sacrifice bunt, and scored on
Maddy Dudley's single to tie the game. A walk to
Samera Rideout and a double from Gould brought in two more runs, giving the Spartans a 5-3 advantage.
The next few innings remained scoreless until the fifth, when West Conn scored three runs off Spartan errors and well-placed hits to take a 6-5 lead. Castleton tied the game in the sixth inning on a double by
Masson Billert, bringing in pinch-runner
Chloe Green. In the top of the seventh, Brouillette drew a walk with
Camryn Williams on as a pinch-runner. Walsh singled, and Rogers delivered another key double to bring in Williams for the go-ahead run. Castleton was able to hold off West Conn for a 7-6 victory.
Top Performers:
- Rogers had multiple hits and drove in three RBIs, including the go-ahead double in the seventh.
- Gould recorded two hits and two RBIs, helping spark key rallies.
Game 2
How it Happened:
Dudley set the tone early with a double through the right side, stealing third and scoring to give Castleton a 1-0 lead. Scoring erupted in the fourth inning as Gould walked, Brouillette reached on an error, and Billert singled to load the bases, prompting a pitching change. Walsh singled to bring in Gould, Horton scored on a hit-by-pitch, and
Jordan Hill delivered a single that drove in two more runs. Hill later created a rundown that allowed Horton to score, giving the Spartans a commanding 6-0 lead.
West Conn scored a lone run in the fifth but could not mount a comeback. Castleton added two more runs in the seventh, with Hill doubling and Rideout singling to bring in runs, sealing an 8-1 win and completing the doubleheader sweep.
Top Performers:
- Hill had multiple hits, including a double and an RBI single, and helped create a key rundown that led to a run.
What's Next
The Spartans will travel to Union College tomorrow, March 30, for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.