SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College softball team swept visiting Vermont State University Castleton on Saturday afternoon to open its home slate. The Thoroughbreds run-ruled the Spartans in game one, 12-4, before claiming game two 4-2.
 
Rachel Monser and Natalie Mayne each were 4-for-6 on the day with homers. Monser also hit a pair of doubles. The Thoroughbreds are 6-4 on the year.
 
Game 1 – Skidmore 12, Castleton 4 (5 inn.)

• The Thoroughbreds scored four in the third highlighted by a Delaney Swain RBI single up the middle and a two-run Mayne homer over the fence in centerfield.
• Skidmore, the visiting team, plated a single run in the fourth on a Monser solo blast far over the rightfield wall, before finishing it off with six in the fifth.
• Monser ripped a two-run double in the rally. Sophia Finch scored one with a long double, and Sam Waters later hit a sacrifice fly.
• The Spartans plated a pair in the bottom of the fifth, but left the game-extending run stranded on second as Mallory Allen induced a fly out to end it.
• Allen went the distance for her third win in the circle. She allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits and a strikeout over five innings.
• Castleton's Alex Brouillete struck out 10, including each of her first nine outs, in the effort. She was charged with six earned runs over four innings.
• Mayne, Finch, and Monser were all 2-for-3 for the contest.

 
Game 2 – Skidmore 4, Castleton 2

• Skidmore scored three runs in the top of the second inning, one in the third, and held off a late Spartan rally to secure the sweep.
• Monser singled in Mayne, who singled to lead off the inning, to open the scoring and came around to score three batters later on a deep Waters triple to the left-center field gap.
• Then, after Shane Cleeve worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the second, Nate' Burley began the third with a double and scored on a Mayne sac fly. Burley then gunned down the lead runner at third in the bottom half of the inning. It was Castleton's last runner to get into scoring position until the seventh.
• The Spartans strung three hits together to score a pair in the bottom half of the seventh, but Cleeve bared down to get the last two batters out on the ground to finish off her complete game.
• Cleeve allowed just the two runs on seven hits to improve to 2-0. She did not register a strikeout, but walked only one.
• Skidmore committed just one error all day. Castleton had four.

 
UP NEXT
Skidmore continues its 10-game home stand on Tuesday afternoon when it hosts Westfield State for a pair beginning at 3 p.m.