CASTLETON, Vt. – The Spartans combined for 30 runs this afternoon, as they claimed the season sweep over Colby-Sawyer with back-to-back victories – 15-2, 15-3 – in a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Spartan Field.
Castleton outhit the opposition 26-11 and took advantage of the Chargers four errors to push the club's winning streak to eight. The Spartans now stand at 16-9 on the season and 10-2 in the conference, while Colby-Sawyer drops to 8-12 (5-7 NAC) overall.
Game One
The Spartans struck early and often in their first game of the day, tying a season-high with 15 runs from 13 hits to secure a 15-2 victory over Colby-Sawyer.
Devin Hayes delivered another solid performance to notch his second win of the year. The junior right-hander went seven strong innings with two runs from five hits and three strikeouts. His counterpart, Michael Fazio, suffered the loss after giving up nine runs (three earned) in four innings of work.
Five different Castleton players notched at least two hits, led by Nick Swim, who recorded his third multi-hit game of the week. The senior went 2-for-3 at the plate with a grand slam and two runs scored. Deagan Poland delivered three hits with three RBIs, while Taylor Vile went 2-for-2 with two RBIs of his own. For Colby-Sawyer, Jackson Musco and Doug Avellino provided the lone scoring of the game, driving in one run apiece.
Poland started the scoring effort for the squad when he crossed home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first, and then struck again in the second with a bases-clearing double to put the hosts in front 4-0. Vile followed with an RBI single to center before coming home later in the frame to give the club a five-run advantage.
The Spartans tacked on three more in the fourth thanks to RBI singles from Pat Mumford, Vile andDan Errico before the offense exploded with six runs just two frames later to jump in front 15-0. Three straight runners reached base to start the inning before Swim hit a grand slam over the leftfield fence for his second home run of the year. Mitchell Caron drove home a fifth run in the frame three batters later, followed by an RBI groundout from Nick Patierne to cap off the six-run inning.
The Chargers finally got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but it was too little too late, as Castleton claimed a 15-2 victory.
Game Two
The Spartans maintained the offensive momentum in game two, pushing another 15 runs across the plate to claim the four-game sweep with a 15-3 win over the Chargers.
Charles Stapleford was shaky at times, but still managed to pick up his fourth win of the year with six innings of three-run baseball. Matt Daly took a no-decision after tossing 3.2 innings with three runs (two earned) allowed, while Mike Peters (0-2) took the loss following a six-run outing in relief.
Castleton's offense erupted with another 13-hit performance in game two, with Swim leading the way. The senior went 3-for-3 in the win with three RBIs and three runs scored, extending his hit streak to an impressive 15 games. Caron went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two walks, while Dillon Benham, Jim Buckley and Errico drove in two runs apiece. For Colby-Sawyer, Brendan Thurber produced a pair of runs, while Nathan Frongillo added a run-scoring double.
Swim began the scoring in the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the first before swiping home later in the frame to hand the hosts a two-run lead. Two innings later, Caron brought home the third run of the game with a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.
The Chargers tied the contest with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but the score didn't stay even for long, as the hosts broke open the game with nine runs from eight hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a commanding, 12-3 lead.
Caron started the rally with a bunt single that allowed Mumford to score. Skylar LaFerriere walked to load the bases, and then Benham ripped a two-run single up the middle to make it 6-3. Back-to-back RBI singles from Vile and Swim pushed the advantage to five before Errico and Buckley ripped a pair of doubles to drive home another three runs. Caron capped off the scoring in the frame with a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield to put the hosts in front by nine.
The Spartans added three more runs in the sixth, and Zac Harrington tossed a scoreless seventh to capture the season sweep for the second straight year over the Chargers with a 15-3 victory.
Castleton has a few days off before returning to action on Sunday at 1 pm to face Amherst College in non-conference play at Memorial Field.