The Spartans baseball team won a pair of games from their double-header against Lyndon State College this past weekend.
After a tough loss to Amherst Thursday, scoring only two runs, the team was looking to bounce back by making more noise with their bats and commit less errors.
“We were much better defensively,” Soren Pelz-Walsh said about the Lyndon game compared to Amherst.
Castleton brought their bats back to life scoring 22 runs in the two games combined while Lyndon State only mustered five total.
The Spartans won the first game 11-1 and the second 11-4.
Adam Greenlese and Devin Hayes took the mound for the start of the games for Castleton. Greenlese pitched a complete game giving up just one earned run through 27 batters.
Hayes pitched five innings giving up three earned runs on eight hits, also facing 27 batters.
Eight of the 11 runs scored by the Spartans in the first game came in the first three innings. After two quick outs to start the first inning Dan Errico got the offense sparked with a single; eventually brought home on a bases loaded walk RBI for the first run.
The rest was history as Castleton scored two more in that inning and eight more total to top it.
In the second game they didn’t show any signs of slowing down, but scored the bulk of their runs in the later part of the game this time unlike the first game.
The Spartans notched a run in the third, fourth, and fifth innings.  However, it was in the seventh inning, Castleton put on an offensive showcase scoring eight runs and putting the clamp down on the Hornets.
Zach Bahan got the seventh inning clinic going as a pinch hitter and getting hit by a pitch putting him at first.
Greenlese is a versatile player who cannot only pitch, but run too. Greenlese pinch ran for Bahan and advanced to second after Tyler Lord was also hit by a pitch.
The Hornets were only down three runs at that point until a handful of costly errors loaded the bases and put Castleton in position for the kill shot.
Matt McNamee reached first on the inning’s first error bringing home Greenlese for an unearned run.
The next pitch was a wild thrown ball, which Lord scored off and advanced Castleton base runners to second and third.
Chaz Millet drove in a single RBI and stole second putting runners at second and third.
Nate Swahn, Soren Pelz-Walsh and Lord would round out the rest of the runs in the inning, eventually winning and sending the Spartans home smiling.
The team improves to 14-3 in the NAC and 17-8 overall. They approach the final stretch of games before trying to redeem themselves in the playoffs from last year’s disappointing finish.
A championship is certainly in the mindset of the Spartans closer to playoff time.
“I think we’re going to be real competitive,” said Pelz-Walsh. “I think our whole team has the mindset.”