CASTLETON, Vt. – Freshman
Abbey Nezuch (Marlborough, Mass.) drove in three and slammed her first career home run, but Plymouth State University came up short in both ends of a Little East Conference (LEC) softball double header at Castleton University on Tuesday.
Nezuch drove in both Panthers' runs in the opener, but the Spartans got a two-out base hit in the bottom of the seventh to walk-off with a 3-2 win.
Nezuch's RBI in the first gave PSU a quick lead in game two. After falling behind, the Panthers rallied with three runs in the fourth to even the score at 4-4, but Castleton pushed three runs across in the bottom of the inning and held on for an 8-5 win in the nightcap.
Plymouth State slips to 12-14 (3-5 LEC), while the Spartans improve to 12-10 and 5-3 in league play.
The Basics:
- Game 1: Plymouth State 2, Castleton 3
- Game 2: Plymouth State 5, Castleton 8
- Plymouth State (12-14, 3-5 LEC)
- Castleton (12-10, 5-3 LEC)
How it Happened (Game One):
- Castleton got a two-out double for a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Nezuch jumped on the first pitch of the second inning for her first career homer well over the left field fence to tie the score. PSU was hungry for more, as freshman Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) and sophomore Madison Pelletier (New Gloucester, Maine) had back-to-back one-out singles, but Castleton worked out of the jam.
- The Panthers loaded the bases to start the third on a walk to graduate student Lauren Archambault (Rehoboth, Mass.) and infield hits for sophomore Mia Ly (Lowell, Mass.) and graduate student Emily Picard (Berlin, N.H.). Nezuch pushed a run across with a fielder's choice, but PSU was unable to do additional damage.
- Castleton used a two-out rally to tie the game in the sixth, then did it again in the seventh for a walk-off win.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Picard finished 2-for-4, while Nezuch went 1-for-3 and drove in both runs.
- Archambault walked twice, while Bessette also reached twice with a single and walk.
- Freshman Emily Antrim (Limerick, Maine) suffered the loss after striking out three over her 6.2 innings.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- Sophomore Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine) walked to start the first and moved up on a passed ball and ground out. Nezuch reached on an error as PSU took an early 1-0 lead.
- Castleton used another two-out rally to jump in front, 2-1, in the second.
- The Spartans tacked on two more in the third to extend the margin to 4-1.
- Plymouth State rallied in the fourth. Ly blasted a double to start the inning and Nezuch followed with a base hit. Picard reached on an error allowing a run to score. The runners were sacrificed over and sophomore Jade Guertin (Oakland, R.I.) followed with an RBI groundout to make it 4-3, before Picard scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
- The hosts responded with a three-run bottom of the inning to go back in front, 7-4, then added a run in the bottom of the fifth.
- Picard roped a one-out double in the sixth and Bessette followed with a base hit. Guertin knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to pull within 8-5, but that was as close the Panthers would get.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Plymouth State was limited to five hits, with Ly and Picard smacking doubles.
- Montelongo reached twice with a pair of walks and scored a run.
- Picard finished 1-for-3 with her double, scored twice and knocked in a run.
- Guertin went 0-for-2 at the plate but drove in two runs.
- Pelletier worked into the third inning but took the loss. Junior Alyssa Wilson (Haverhill, Mass.) was strong out of the bullpen, working a one-two-three inning with a strikeout.
- Castleton has won each of the last three meetings, though PSU maintains a 29-12-1 edge in the all-time series.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State travels to WestConn on Saturday (Apr. 22) for another pair of LEC games starting at noon.
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