CASTLETON, Vt. – Sophomore Sam McCann (Berlin, N.H.) went 4-for-7 and drove in three runs to help lead Plymouth State to a sweep over Castleton University in a Little East Conference (LEC) softball double header at Spartan Fields on Tuesday.
 
McCann's solo home run sparked a six-run, second-inning outburst as the Panthers won the opener 7-2. In the nightcap she had RBI singles in the first and third innings and Plymouth State held off a late Spartans' rally for a 3-2 win.
 
PSU has won three straight and seven-of-eight to improve to 7-5 (4-2 LEC), while the Spartans fall for the fourth time in five games to move to 6-4 (3-3 LEC).
 
The Basics:

• Game 1: Plymouth State 7, Castleton 2
• Game 2: Plymouth State 3, Castleton 2
  • Plymouth State (7-5, 4-2 LEC)
  • Castleton (6-4, 3-3 LEC)

 
How it Happened (Game One):

• After a scoreless first inning McCann led off the second with a blast to deep left field to put the Panthers on the board. An error and back-to-back singles followed to load the bases with none out. After a fielder's choice, junior Lauren Archambault (Rehoboth, Mass.) made it 2-0 with an RBI single. Castleton cut down a runner at the plate, but juniors Madison Harris (Randolph, Mass.) and Emily Picard (Berlin, N.H.) each followed with two-run singles to extend the lead to 6-0.
• The Spartans pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning with a couple of two-out singles.
• McCann nearly went deep again to lead off the fifth, but her blast to left hit about halfway up the fence for a double. Two outs later junior Katie Burk (East Islip, N.Y.) singled to left to score McCann and make it 7-2.
• Aside from the second inning graduate student Caitlyn Miller (Lee, N.H.) allowed just one baserunner the rest of the afternoon. 

By the Numbers (Game One):

• Miller (3-3) allowed four hits, all in the second inning, and a walk in an efficient complete game win. She struck out two and needed just 79 pitches to record ten flyouts and eight groundouts for the victory.
• McCann went 2-for-4 (homer, double) with both of PSU's extra base hits. She leads the team with two long balls on the season.
• Archambault and Burk also had two-hit games for the Panthers.

 
How it Happened (Game Two):

• Freshman Alexis Michon (Montville, Conn.) and Picard ripped back-to-back singles in the first and McCann continued her hot streak at the plate with a run scoring base hit to give PSU an early 1-0 lead.
• Freshman Vanessa Bryan (Stoneham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to start the second, moved up on a passed ball and came home on sophomore Rachyl Parslow's (Temple, N.H.) RBI single to pad the lead.
• An error and a single put Panthers on first and second for McCann in the third inning and her second base hit of the evening extended the advantage to 3-0.
• Michon limited the Spartans to just three baserunners through the first five innings, but Castleton broke through with a two-out rally in the sixth. With two down and a runner on second the hosts knocked an RBI single and run-scoring double to pull within 3-2, but Michon induced a flyball to center to keep PSU in front.
• Michon quickly struck out the first two batters in the seventh. A walk and single put the tying run in scoring position, but Michon got a harmless fly out to left to close out the win.

By the Numbers (Game Two):

• In addition to picking up the win in the circle, Michon (4-2) went 3-of-4 at the plate and scored a pair of runs. She struck out seven.
• Picard also had a three hit game to run her hitting streak to nine-straight, while McCann finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
• PSU has won seven-of-eight.

 
Up Next:

• The Panthers host the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in an LEC double header on Saturday (Apr. 17) at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.