The Castleton softball team grabbed two big wins this weekend in Maine to improve its record to 11-17 and 5-5 in the Northern Atlantic Conference. The Spartans had two doubleheaders facing both Thomas College and the University of Maine-Farmington. The Spartans lost the first doubleheader against Thomas 5-4 and 7-0, one of which went into eight innings.

In the opening game, Castleton senior Sarah Flore put the Spartans on top 2-0 with RBI singles in the first and third innings. Thomas responded in the bottom of the third, when Mallorie Blakney hit a two-run triple, allowing Alexandra Kriegel and Lindsay Fry to make it home.

Castleton’s Siobhan Whittemore gave the Spartans a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth, but Kriegel soon answered with a two-run single to give Thomas the 5-4 win in the extra eighth inning.

Spartans pitcher Taylor Lively, was handed the loss on 7.1 innings, 11 hits, five runs, four earned, three walks and four strikeouts.

Thomas pitcher, Jordan Kennedy stifled the Spartan offense, throwing a complete game three-hitter while striking out 10 to get the win. Leading for Thomas’ offense was Samantha Moore going 3-for-3 with a triple, a double and four RBIs. Pitching for the Spartans was sophomore Emily Sweeney. Caylee Fleury, had two hits for Castleton in that game.

It was a different story against the University of Maine-Farmington. The Spartans ended their seven-game losing streak by defeating Farmington 4-2 and 6-1.

In game one, Sweeney pitched for the Spartans, giving up two runs on five hits, four walks and three strikeouts in seven innings to improve her record to 4-8. Emma Vaillancourt pitched seven innings for Farmigton giving up eight hits, four runs, four walks and seven strikeouts.

Getting on the scoreboard first was Castleton, when junior Shannon Jipner got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for a 1-0 lead. Castleton sophomore Mercedes Maltbie followed, with a walk for one of her four RBIs in the two game series and a 2-0 advantage. Megan Blongy and Flore both singled while right fielder Tori Fearon was walked in between the base knocks to start the inning.

The Beavers responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of runs, tying the game at 2-2. Liz Sargent drove in Samantha Morency with a RBI double and Casey Mull grounded out to first base to even the score heading into the fifth.

In the sixth inning, Castleton pushed two more runs across, taking advantage of a fielding error. Flore came through for the Spartans again, roping a single to left field, plating Sweeney and Blongy for the 4-2 advantage.

In game two, Lively earned the victory, improving her record to 6-9 on seven innings, five hits, one run, two walks and a game-high seven punchouts.

Vaillancourt pitched six innings, yielding nine hits, five runs, four walks and six strikeouts.

Both teams earned runs in the third inning as Fleury scored on another fielding error for Castleton, and Barnes plated a running with an infield single for a 1-1 score.

In the fifth, the Spartans erupted for three runs on Maltbie’s ninth double of the season – a three-run knock – scoring Fleury, Fearon and Flore to take a 4-1 lead. Castleton added another run in the sixth from a RBI single by Flore and another in the seventh. The Spartans had seven hits in game two led by a 3-for-4 performance from Blongy and Maltbie.