BOSTON, Mass. – The Vermont State University Castleton baseball team was swept by the Beacons of UMass Boston on Saturday in a Little East Conference doubleheader. The Spartans were run-ruled in eight innings in game one with an 11-1 loss, while game two was a back-and-forth battle that favored UMass Boston, 13-12.
Game 1
The Basics:
• Final Score: 11-1 (8 Innings) UMass Boston
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts – Monan Park
• Records: 14-11 (4-2 LEC) UMB | 7-19 (2-4 LEC) Castleton
How it Happened:
The Spartans opened game one of Saturday's doubleheader, leaving two runners on base as the Beacons took advantage of the 0-0 score at the bottom of the first inning, scoring twice with a steal at home plate for a 2-0 lead. The Spartans responded at the top of the fourth with two runners on as
Mikey Raby Jr. sent a sacrifice fly out to left field, allowing
Justin Strozyk to score Castleton's first run as the deficit was cut to two (2-1).
Castleton left one runner on in each of the next four innings as they looked to tie or take the lead, but were unsuccessful. The Beacons posted a big bottom half of the eighth inning with nine runs scored to take an 11-1 lead and secure the win in eight innings with the 10-run rule.
Top Performers:
•
Alex McClelland and
Carter Dickinson led the Spartans with two hits each, while Raby notched the Spartans' lone RBI.
•
Luke Russell threw four strikeouts through seven innings, while
Nick Lescarbeau added one.
Game 2
The Basics:
• Final Score: 13-12 UMass Boston
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts – Monan Park
• Records: 15-11 (5-2 LEC) UMB | 7-20 (2-5 LEC) Castleton
How it Happened:
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as
Jack Humbach grounded out with two runners on, bringing McClelland across home plate. The Beacons responded in the bottom half of the inning, starting with a two-run home run, followed by a double to right-center field for a 3-1 lead. Castleton kicked up the intensity as the second inning began, as
Turner Clews scored while
Evan Primeau reached first on an error (3-2). McClelland singled to center field on the following at-bat, bringing in
Tripp Shytle to tie the game at three.
Trey LaVigne sent a sacrifice fly out to right field for another run as Castleton pulled ahead 4-3.
The Beacons took the lead back at the bottom of the second with a double and a single (5-4) before the Spartans exploded at the top of the third. A passed ball gave the Spartans their fifth run of the game, while Raby stole home two batters later to take a 6-5 lead.
Tommie Shaw sent a double out to left field to bring in Strozyk as the Spartans led by two (7-5). UMass Boston answered with a double to cut the deficit to one (7-6) to close out the third inning.
The Beacons added on another tying run at the bottom of the fourth on a passed ball for the third tie of the game (7-7). Castleton took back the lead at the top of the sixth with a double from
Joe Castellano, followed by a groundout by Shytle for a 9-7 Spartan lead. Castleton added to the lead at the top of the seventh, beginning with a single from McClelland, which LaVigne followed up with a triple to bring in two runs (12-7). The Beacons notched three runs at the bottom of the seventh as the lead was now two (12-10), and re-took the lead at the bottom of the eighth, scoring another three runs (13-12). The Spartans had one last chance at the top of the ninth, but stranded two runners as the Beacons secured the sweep.
Top Performers:
• McClelland, Shaw, LaVigne, and Dickinson notched two hits each, while LaVigne led with three RBIs.
•
Patrick Hallett and
Kyle Wilson earned two strikeouts each, while
Jake Waller earned one.
What's Next
The team returns to Castleton on Tuesday, April 14, for another LEC matchup as they host the Panthers of Plymouth State at 3 p.m.
