SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.-- Castleton State edged Skidmore College 4-3 and 5-3 in a pair of nonleague softball games, Sunday at Wagner Park.
The Thoroughbreds are 4-10, while the Spartans jump to 6-3.
In the first game, Castleton got on the board in the top of the first with an RBI single by Brittany Brayman and extended its lead to 4-0 in the third. Jessica Babcock drilled a two-run homerun to center and Rubey Bushey drove in Brayman with a single.
The Thoroughbreds responded in the bottom half of the inning, cutting their deficit in half.
Dani DeGregory plated
Lizette Roman-Johnston with a double and scored on an error in Skidmore's next at bat to make it 4-2.
After a scoreless fourth, the Thoroughbreds rallied again in the fifth to come back within one. McEvoy sparked the rally, leading off with a single before stealing second and DeGregory produced her second RBI of the day two batters later, belting a triple to left-center. Skidmore came close to tying it as Lauren Forunato nearly legged out a dribbler, but she was just beat by Kayla Daigle's throw from second.
Thoroughbred pitcher
Amanda Carilli retired the final six batters she faced, but Skidmore failed to record a hit in the final two innings. Castleton pitcher Kayla Wood pitched a complete game, allowing two earned runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts.
Cassie Fishkin took the loss on the mound, giving up three earned runs and seven hits over three innings. Carilli struck out five and allowed just one hit in four innings of relief.
In the second game, Skidmore took a 1-0 led in its half of the second when
Sam Skott scored from first on
Kristina Foley's first collegiate double. Castleton scored three in the third on RBI singles from Jessica Babcock and Katie Traver and a Katie Traver sac fly.
The Thoroughbreds got one back in their half of the third when Katie Shea led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Fortunato to make it 3-2.
The Spartans scored single runs in the fourth and fifth to open a 5-2 lead, while starter Taylor Paquette retired 10 straight Skidmore batters.
Skott opened the bottom of the seventh with a single and later scored on a wild pitch to cut it to 5-3. Pinch hit singles by
Cassie Fishkin and
Casey Attonito put the tying runs on base, but Paquette got out of the jam on game ending double play.
Fortunato was 2-3 and Skott was 2-2 with two runs.
Amanda Carilli took the loss on the mound. She scattered nine hits over seven innings, with one walk and six strikeouts.
Babcock, Traver, and Bushey had two hits each for the Spartans, while Paquette evened her record at 1-1 with the complete game win.
Skidmore will host Cazenovia on Monday at 3:30.
