Game 1

Game 2

Castleton, Vt.-- The Skidmore College softball team improved to 7-5 with a 6-1, 18-8 sweep of Castleton State College Wednesday. 

Sophomore Sam Crose (Assonet, MA) struck out 10 hitters over seven innings pitched in the opener and Julia Schwartz (Bryn Mawr, PA) went 2-for-4 with four runs batted in the second for the sweep. 

Crose issued one walk, three hits and one run to improve to 5-3 overall on the season. Crose flirted with a perfect game up to the fourth inning yielding a bunt single to Castleton shortstop Megan Blongy (Rutland, VT) in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Thoroughbreds opened up the scoring in the top of the third as Schwartz belted her fifth homer of the season and first-ever home run in the Spartans brand-new softball stadium for a 2-0 lead.

Skidmore tacked on four runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Cora Crafts (Gilford, NH) and Caitlin Ketcham's (No. Clarendon, VT) first home run of the season, a two-run shot, to make it 6-0.

Castleton answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error that plated Blongy from third.

Hilary Bemis (Crown Point, NY) suffered the loss pitching seven innings, allowing eight hits, six runs (all earned) on four walks and 11 strikeouts.

In game two, the Thoroughbreds offense produced 10 runs in the first inning to break the game open.

Carol Brown (Seattle, WA), Tara DeGeorge (Seaford, NY), Lauren Dinsdale (Harrington Park, NJ), Schwarts and Crafts all had multi-hit games at the plate. Ketcham slammed her second homer of the day.

Molly Canavan (Blue Bell, PA) earned the victory pitching four-and-two-thirds-innings allowing eight hits, eight runs (six earned), six walks and two strikeouts.

Castleton starter Kristy Jurczak (Oxford, ME) was dealt the loss over four innings of work, six hits, 11 runs (only two earned), six walks and three strikeouts.

Down 13-2 to start the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans avoided the mercy rule with a six-run fifth.

Skidmore opened its gap in the next half inning turning in five runs off of Castleton relief pitcher Emily Sweeney (Weare, NH).