The Spartan softball team swept the Hornet’s of Lyndon State this passed week in a tight fought double header, featuring highlightpitching performances out of seniors Emily Sweeney and Taylor Lively. The duo held the Hornets to just one run and six hits on the day, helping the Spartans improve their conference record to 10-4.

The Spartans started the first game off slowly, but an epic solo in-the-park home run from freshman Jessica Babcock in the third inning gave Castleton the 1-0 lead.

“I’ve been working on hitting the ball to the right side of the field, and the wind was blowing just right. It’s something you don’t see happen to often, it felt great,” said Babcock.

In the fifth, Babcock drove home Chelsea Crehan with an RBI single, which is all Lively needed to pull off the win for the Spartans. The second game of the day would prove to be just as close as the first.

Junior Tori Fearon lead off the second inning with a single, then pitcher Emily Sweeney blasted a frozen rope to right field for a stand up triple and an RBI.

“The best part about my triple was that I was able to come back from getting hit by a line drive to the chest and in the same inning I got a triple, I was so happy,” said Sweeney.

The score stayed at 1-0 in favor of the Spartans, until the bottom of the fourth inning where the Hornet’s would tie the ball game at one run a piece off of a Spartan error. The Spartans went to work with their bats in the next inning. After a lead off walk of freshman Chelsea Grady, a groundout brought her to second and eventually home to take the 2-1 lead at the top of the fifth inning. Sweeney finished the game strong, allowing only one hit in the final two innings for the victory.

The Spartans had to hurry home from their Friday road trip to face Johnson State in a double header for the Spartans Senior day on Saturday, April 20. Seniors Caylee Fleury, Taylor Lively, Chelsea Crehan and Emily Sweeney were all honored at the beginning of the game for all they done for Castleton softball in their
four years as a Spartan.

Lively started off the game as planned, allowing zero hits through the first inning. The second inning would also go to the Spartans, after a couple of nifty back-to-back bunts from Crehan and Kristy Pinkham. After a passed ball by Johnson State catcher, and a single by Jessica Babcock, the Spartan’s had the 3-0 lead at the bottom of the third inning.

The Spartan bats proved to be to powerful for the Badgers through the remaining innings, scoring three more runs and finishing the first of two games with a 6-0 win.

“Our bats really came alive in both games, we’re looking really good rolling into post season play,” said sophomore Kristy Pinkham.

The second game of the double header was all Spartans, sending home eleven Spartans in just the first inning. Lively on the mound for the second time on the day, struck out four Badgers and held them to two hits through four innings. Strong hitting from freshmen Ruby Bushey and Chelsea Grady helped add to the Spartan lead, finishing the game with a score of 14-1 in favor of the Spartans.

With the senior day sweep, Castleton finishes regular season play with a record of 15- 19, and a conference record of 14-4. Moving forward, the Spartans will likely host the NAC quarterfinal on April 24.