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Baseball: Castleton Clinches NEAC East Crown

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Created on Monday, 30 April 2012 01:29

Written by George Commo

Spartans Sweep a Pair to Battle Back to Title

 

Courtesy Castleton Sports Information

CASTLETON, Vt. – The Spartans got a complete-game three-hitter from Tyler Erickson (Naugatuck, Conn.) as Castleton earned a 2-1 victory over Colby-Sawyer to clinch the North Eastern Athletic Conference East Division Championship on Sunday afternoon at Spartan Field. Castleton had topped the Chargers 13-6 earlier in the day to force the deciding game.

 

One day after tossing a complete-game four hitter, the Tournament MVP stepped up when his team needed him most. Erickson was efficient, scattering three hits over 9.0 innings and striking out three batters without walking a single one in earning his ninth victory of the season. The win clinches the Spartans’ second NEAC East Division Championship in three years as they improve to 30-14 on the season.

 

PJ Singster (Sandown, N.H.) took the loss for Colby-Sawyer, but was impressive on the mound getting himself out of jams on multiple occasions and allowing just a pair of earned runs in the third inning. He allowed nine hits over 8.0 innings and struck out two batters without walking a single one. The Chargers drop to 20-22 with the loss.

 

In addition to Erickson, Peter Wagner (Brattleboro, Vt.) and Patrick Riley (Strafford, Vt.) were named to the all tournament team. Wagner went 13-for-20 from the plate during the tournament with a hit in each game, while Riley earned a win over Thomas to stave off elimination on Saturday morning.

 

Castleton threatened in the second after Peter Wagner (Brattleboro, Vt.) led off with a single up the middle. Cameron Curler (Vergennes, Vt.) bunted him over to second and after a flyout, Tyler Hoare (Duxbury, Vt.) hit an infield single to put the runners on the corners. Singster stayed composed for the Chargers and induced a flyout to end the frame.

 

David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) got the offense going an inning later, as he was hit to lead off and then stole second successfully on the first pitch, despite the pitch-out by Singster. Ryan Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y.) followed with a single through the left side to put runners on the corners. Joe Borowski (Schenectady, N.Y.) came through with a groundout to the second baseman, scoring Brandt from third for the 1-0 lead. A groundout by Mayo advanced Zielinski to third and Wagner drove him in with a single through the right side for the two-run lead after three.

 

In the top of the sixth, Colby-Sawyer’s Jon Wylie (Middleboro, Mass.) reached on a fielding error by Wagner to lead off. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a grounder to second. Wylie then scored on a throwing error by Wagner to cut the Castleton lead in half.

 

Looking for an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, Curler hit a one-out single and Macyn Clifford (Brookline, N.H.) ripped the first pitch he saw into center for a single. After a groundout, Mat Pause (Hartford, Vt.) walked to load the bases, but a groundout ended the frame.

 

Erickson finished the Chargers off in the top of the ninth, getting each of the first two batters out before allowing a single and getting a groundout to end the game. The senior was mobbed at the mound as the Spartans charged the field.

 

Earlier in the day Ryan Zielinski (Schenectady, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs as Castleton defeated Colby-Sawyer College 13-6 to force the afternoon game.

 

Adam Greenlese (Shokan, N.Y.) picked up the complete-game win to improve to 5-0 on the season allowing six runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out three. Ryan Gillian (Alton, N.H.) shouldered the loss for Colby-Sawyer allowing eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits and two walks in three innings-plus. Alex Drost (West Windsor, Vt.) came on to pitch the final six innings in relief, allowing five runs (three earned)  on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

 

Castleton manufactured a run in the first as David Brandt (Contoocook, N.H.) led off with a bunt single, stole second, was sacrificed over to third and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to leftfield by Joe Borowski (Schenectady, N.Y.).

 

The Spartans tacked on four more in the second, all with two outs after a catcher’s interference call put runners on first and third and extended the inning. After Mat Pause (Wilder, Vt.) stole second, Brandt walked loading the bases for Zielinski. Zielinski laced the second pitch in the at-bat to left for a two-run single, and Borowski followed with a two-run double to the gap in right-centerfield before Gillian induced a pop-out to end the threat.

 

Colby-Sawyer broke through in the third for a pair of runs as Greenlese retired the first two batters with relative ease before walking Sean Gavin (Keene, N.H.) and Greg Mehuron (Waitsfield, Vt.). Tyler Stotz (Amesbury, Mass.) and Andy Lapple (Newtown, Conn.) followed with run-scoring singles before Greenlese was able to end the inning.

 

Castleton answered with three more in the top of the fourth as Tyler Hoare (Duxbury, Vt.) walked and Pause singled turning the lineup over to Brandt. Brandt once again bunted for a hit, and all three runners moved up on an errant throw to first. Zielinski then brought home both Pause and Brandt with a seeing-eye single up the middle, driving home his third and fourth runs of the ball game and chasing Gillian.

 

A sacrifice fly by Zielinski brought home Brandt in the sixth – who had doubled to lead off the inning – but the Chargers came back with two more in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 9-4. Lapple doubled to rightfield after Stotz started the inning reaching on a hit by pitch. Jake Szulak (Middleboro, Mass.) followed with a ringing single to plate Stotz and Lapple came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Justin Martin (Lebanon, N.H.).

 

Hoare brought home a two-out run with a single in the seventh and Greenlese induced a pop-out to rightfield, stranding a pair of Chargers in the bottom of the inning to maintain the six-run advantage. Castleton scored three more (one earned) in the eighth, all with two outs, Curler brought home the first run on a single to third and came around to score on a double steal to cap the Spartan scoring.

 

Colby-Sawyer tacked on two more in the ninth as Stotz brought home a pair with a single.

 

Brandt finished the day 3-for-4 and stole two bases, while Borowski finished 2-for-4 with three RBI to aid the Spartan attack which pounded out 16 hits. Stotz led the way for the Chargers with three hits and three RBI.

 

 

 

Castleton now advances to play Penn St. – Berks, the West Division Champions, next weekend for the right to represent the NEAC in the NCAA National Tournament.

NEAC East Division All-Tournament Team
Tyler Erickson, Castleton - MVP
Patrick Riley, Castleton
Peter Wagner, Castleton
Andy Lapple, Colby-Sawyer
Brendan Harding, Colby-Sawyer
Kevin Keith, Colby-Sawyer
Chris Farrar, Thomas
Cody Vigue, Thomas
Niko Ververis, Husson
Shawn Smith, Husson