FLEMINGTON, N.J. – The Vermont State University Castleton baseball team dropped both games of Sunday's doubleheader against No. 8 Rowan. The Spartans fell 7-3 in a hard-fought game one before losing game two 14-3 in seven innings.
Game 1
The Basics:
• Final Score: 7-3 Rowan
• Location: Flemington, New Jersey | Diamond Nation
• Records: 2-0 Rowan | 4-6 Castleton
How it Happened:
The Spartans struck first during the opening inning as
Logan Sinacola stepped up to bat with two runners on. He sent out a single to bring in
Alex McClelland for a 1-0 Castleton lead as the inning turned. The Profs added two runs to the board at the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Castleton tied the game at two at the top of the second inning as
Joe Castellano sent a single out with two runners on to bring
Mikey Raby Jr. across the plate for the tying run. Rowan then took a 5-2 lead at the bottom of the second off a two-run home run and a single.
At the top of the fifth inning, the Spartans had two runners on as
Logan Sinacola stepped up to bat. He reached on a fielder's choice, resulting in the leading runner getting out at third as Castleton's offensive efforts were stopped. At the bottom of the fifth, the Profs added one more run off a home run as they extended the lead to 6-2 before putting the Spartans down in order at the top of the sixth.
Castellano added on the final run for the Spartans with his first career home run at the top of the seventh as the deficit was cut to three (6-3). The Profs added their final run at the bottom of the eighth with another home run as they secured the 7-3 win with a double play and a fly out to end the game.
Top Performers:
• Castellano led the team with three hits, including his first career home run, while adding two RBIs.
• McClelland added two hits.
•
Patrick Hallett and
Nick Lescarbeau each had three strikeouts.
Game 2
The Basics:
• Final Score: 14-3
• Location: Flemington, New Jersey – Diamond Nation
• Records: 3-0 Rowan | 4-7 Castleton
How it Happened:
Castleton scored first in game two, as
Justin Strozyk grounded out to third, allowing McClelland to score for a 1-0 Spartan lead. The Profs did not let that last long as they posted a five-run bottom of the first, to take control of game two, leading 5-1. Rowan added four runs in over the next two innings as Castleton struggled to get things going offensively.
At the top of the sixth, the Spartans gained some momentum back as Strozyk launched his third home run of the season out of the park for run two for Castleton. Raby stepped up with one batter, one, sending a single to right field as
Sebastian Vazquez came in for the third run of the game for the Spartans, now trailing 9-3.
The Profs added five runs at the bottom of the sixth inning, behind three home runs, forcing Castleton to put runs on the board at the top of the seventh to continue the game. The Spartans had two runners on via walks as
Carter Dickinson singled to left field to load the bases. Strozyk struck out on the next at-bat, and the runner on second was picked off to end the game as Rowan swept the Spartans.
Top Performers:
• Dickinson, Raby, and Vazquez all posted two hits.
• Strozyk led the team with two RBIs.
•
Keaton Nann and
Kyle Wilson each posted two strikeouts on the mound, while
Trey LaVigne added one.
What's Next
The team heads to Union College on Wednesday, March 11, for another non-conference matchup with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.
