Baseball battled until the last out
With the playoffs within reach, the VTSU Castleton Spartans baseball team entered Saturday’s crucial doubleheader against Rhode Island College knowing exactly what was at stake.
After a resilient 11-5 midweek victory over Vermont State Lyndon gave the Spartans hope and momentum, the final games of the regular season promised drama, pressure, and an opportunity to extend the year.
Instead, Castleton’s season came to a bitter end, as two tough losses to Rhode Island by scores of 10-2 and 14-5 dashed their playoff hopes and brought a rollercoaster season to a heartbreaking close.
Game one of the doubleheaders started with promise. Mason Meinke’s RBI single in the first gave Castleton a 1-0 lead, and after Rhode Island tied it with a solo home run in the third, the Spartans responded quickly with a Jack Boyle triple that brought home Tyler Dubreuil.
Leading 2-1, the Spartans looked poised to compete, but the momentum shifted sharply. Rhode Island erupted for six runs in the top of the fifth inning, turning the game on its head. Castleton’s bats went cold as the Anchormen added three more runs in the final innings to close out a 10-2 win.
Boyle and Turner Clews paced the offense with two hits each, but the Spartans were unable to string together a late-inning rally.
Game two opened with urgency, as the Anchormen jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Castleton refused to go down quietly though.
A double by Jackson Cardozo got the Spartans on the board, and a series of disciplined at-bats including a bases-loaded walk to Tommie Shaw and a clutch two-RBI single from freshman Robbie Briggs put Castleton ahead 5-4.
The early surge was short-lived. Rhode Island responded immediately with seven runs across the next two innings to take control.
The Spartans struggled to regain offensive rhythm, and the Anchormen padded their lead with runs in the fifth and eighth innings. With Castleton trailing 14-5 and storms approaching, the game was called before the start of the ninth, sealing the Spartans’ season-ending loss.
Despite flashes of potential throughout the year including a strong seven-game win streak in early April Castleton finishes the 2025 season with a 13-25 overall record, going 4-12 in Little East Conference play.
The season was marked by breakout performances from young talent and strong leadership from veterans like Jack Boyle and Tyler Dubreuil. Standout pitching efforts, combined with a handful of offensive explosions, proved that the team could compete with anyone on their best day.
Though the year ends in disappointment, the Spartans walk away with valuable experience and a foundation to build on for 2026. With rising stars already making an impact and a hungry core likely to return, Castleton will look to turn this season’s heartbreak into next year’s redemption.
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