The visiting Castleton State Spartans nabbed a pair of North Atlantic Conference softball victories over Green Mountain College 12-1 and 8-4 Wednesday afternoon.  Castleton improves to 13-11 overall and 7-5 NAC while GMC falls to 8-16, 3-7.

In game one, Spartan pitcher Tosha Whittemore (Bridport, VT) hurled a 6 hit gem allowing only one run while striking out 10.  Tosha added 4 hits and drove in a pair of runs to help her cause while Hilary Bemis (Crown Point, NY) was 2 for 5 from the plate, scored 3 runs and added 4 RBI's. 

Leading 1-0 heading into the top of the fifth, the Spartans scored 4 runs on 5 hits to bust the game open.  Junior Alicia Zraunig (Grenfield, MA) hit a leaf-off single into right field and scored when Sarah Flore (Springfield, VT) doubled to deep left.  Tosha Whittemore, Lydia McPherson (Deerfield, NH) and Stephanie Wright (Guilford, VT) each had a hit to push the lead to 5-0.

Castleton would tack on 3 runs in the sixth on hits by Zraunig, Bemis, T. Whittemore and Siobhan Whittemore (Springfield, VT) before the Eagles would tally their only run in the bottom of the inning.  Emily Heale (East Bethany, NY) knocked a single into shallow right to plate Brittany Holden (Schenectady, NY).

The Spartans rounded out the scoring in the seventh with 4 more runs highlighted by a two-run homer from Hilary Bemis. 

GMC pitcher Brittany Holden was saddled with the loss yielding 8 runs on 13 hits.

In the nightcap, Castleton picked up 5 runs over the first two innings and tallied a pair in the sixth to hold off the Eagles.  Spartan pitcher Whitney Grassley (Colchester, VT) yielded 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out a pair for the 8-4 victory. 

After yielding 3 runs in the first, GMC rallied to pull 2 back on base knocks by freshman Karen Davidson (Seymour, CT) and Hilary Dernier (Seattle, WA).  Trailing 8-2 in the bottom half of the sixth, GMC freshman Chanleigh Casey (Hartford, NY) belted a double into the right field gap, plating Heale and Dernier to cut the Spartan lead 4.  That was, however, as close as the Eagles would get.

The Castleton defense was superb in game two, thwarting a number of GMC threats.  Center-fielder Hannah Greene (Rutland, VT) made a pair of diving catches with runners in scoring positions during the 4^th and 5^th innings.

For GMC, Davidson, Dernier, and Casey each picked up a pair of hits while CSC third-basemen Hilary Bemis tallied 4 RBI's on 3 hits including a home run. 

GMC rounds out the regular season this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders against U-Me. Farmington (Sat) and Thomas College (Sun) while Castleton faces Plymouth State on Friday.