CASTLETON, Vt. – The University of Maine at Farmington was held to just six hits over both ends of its North Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader with Castleton State and dropped both games to the Spartans, 9-1 and 4-0, on Saturday at the Spartan Softball Field.
Farmington evened its conference and overall record at 2-2 with the losses, while Castleton improved to 5-9 overall, 4-2 in the NAC.
The Beavers plated one run in the top of the first inning in game to briefly take a lead. Sophomore Emily Soule laced a double into left field, and scored when senior Amy Jones’ fly ball into left field turned into a two-base error.
Farmington had just two base runners the rest of the way. Jones got aboard in the fourth with a lead-off single, but was called out on interference on freshman Kennadi Grover’s grounder to second.
Castleton rallied with a four-run bottom of the first on four hits, plus a throwing error on the pitcher with bases loaded that allowed all three runners to cross. Kayla Wood added the fourth run on an RBI single to right field.
The Spartans tacked on four more runs in the second thanks to five hits and three Beaver errors. Wood had a two-run single into center field for Castleton, and Ruby Bushey plated one run with another base hit into center.
Soule went three innings for the Beavers and allowed nine runs, only two of which were earned, on 10 hits and one walk with three strikeouts in the loss. Freshman Courtney Fowler finished out the fourth inning, and allowed two hits.
Wood picked up the win for the Spartans in her two-hit, four-inning outing in the circle, with Veronica Arnone recording two strikeouts in the fifth.
Game two went much the same as game one, with Castleton posting a big inning early and keeping UMF at bay for the win.
The Spartans three-run first inning was keyed by Brittany Brayman’s two-run single to center field, and Castleton’s single run in the fifth came on Jessica Babcock’s RBI single.
Soule came back to pitch five innings for the Beavers in game two, and yielded four earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Fowler again worked the game’s final inning, and gave up one hit while fanning one Spartan batter.
Katie Gagne scattered three hits on her way to the win for Castleton, allowing one walk against two strikeouts.
Farmington completes the two-day road trip on Sunday, April 13, when it travels to Lynn, Mass., to face Fisher College in a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch in game one of the twinbill is slated for 12 p.m.
