CASTLETON, Vt. - Plymouth State University second
baseman Grant Livingston (Niantic, Conn.) took
home on a double-steal in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday
afternoon to score what would prove to be the winning run as the
Panthers downed Castleton State College, 9-8, in non-conference
baseball action.
Plymouth State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead as Castleton starter
Billy Bruneau struggled through three innings. Junior
Kevin Levandowski (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton) provided
a two-run double in the first, and singled and scored in the third
to provide much of the damage. Senior Jim VanGyzen
(Glocester, R.I.) added a solo home run in the second, while
classmate John Pogorzelski (Hillsborough, N.J.)
walked and scored in the first and added an RBI single in the
third.
Castleton got a run back in the fourth as junior Marlin Froese
(Winkler, Mani.) delivered an RBI single. The Spartans put
together a five-run eighth inning as nine men came to the plate.
Senior Brad Polcare (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) smacked an RBI triple,
and junior Kyle Brooks (Charlotte, Vt.), senior Chris Ragis (South
Burlington, Vt.) and junior Oliver Aldrich (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
each contributed run-scoring singles. PSU got out of the inning
still holding onto an 8-6 lead heading into the ninth.
Livingston reached on single to left-center to lead off the inning,
and moved to second when senior Brandon Hodge
(Bradford, Vt.) was hit by a pitch. Livingston moved to third on
Pogorzelski's fly-out to left field. With sophomore Steve
Picco (Marshfield, Mass.) at the plate, Hodge took off for
second and stopped halfway. Livingston scampered home with the
winning run as the throw went through to second base.
Castleton plated two more runs in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI
single from freshman Dan Conley (Manchester, N.H.) and an RBI
double from Ragis. Ragis was thrown out trying to stretch his
double into a triple for the final out of the game.
Polcare finished with a 4-for-4 day at the plate including a walk,
double, and triple to lead the 14-16 Spartans. Conley added three
hits, two runs and one RBI.
Levandowski was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while
VanGyzen was 2-for-3. Freshman Seth Labossiere
(Lincoln, R.I.) picked up the win in relief, tossing three shut-out
innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two for
the 9-20 Panthers, who have won three in a row.
Plymouth State travels to Salem State Thursday for a 3:30 pm
non-conference match-up. Castleton is back in action on
Friday at 2:00 p.m., hosting the University of Maine-Presque
Isle.
(Courtesy of Castleton Sports Information)
-- 30 --
