The Castleton State baseball team got back on the winning track Wednesday night as their bats lead them to an 8-5 victory over the struggling Plymouth State University Panthers.
Castleton starter Ron Cahill gave up an opposite field homerun in the first inning to the Panthers centerfielder Brandon Hodge to put PSU in front 1-0, but the Spartans quickly answered in the bottom half of the first after an RBI by Phil Puleo.
Cahill got himself in a jam in the third inning after he walked two and gave up a single to load the bases with no out. However the Panthers couldn’t produce any runs after a pop out and an inning ending double play.
Panthers pitcher Ryan Lavelle gave up a drag bunt single in the third and a Chris Ragis blooper to right, which set up a Ryan Bocuck’s double that scored two runs. Bocuck who was 4-4 on the day with two doubles, tattooed a 2-2 change-up down the third base line to put the Spartans up 3-1. Lavelle ended up getting shelled for 10 hits and 3 walks in four innings.
The Panthers scored in the 4th after a two-out error by Tim Zorio that plated Scott BeGalle.
Ron Cahill exited to a well-deserved standing ovation by his team after giving up one earned run over four innings.
Spartan closer Matt Artis would later say it was the best he’s seen Cahill pitch all year.
The Spartans would drive in two more runs in the fifth after an Adam Massey bases-clearing double. Massey was 3-4 on the day with two singles and a double. The damage could have been a lot worse for the Cougars, but a line drive double play to end to inning ended the Spartans chances of piling on more runs.
The Panthers threatened in the 8th after Spartan relief pitcher Jeremy Gileris gave up an RBI single to Josh Roberti, leaving runners at the corners. But soon Gileris was running off the mound pumping his fist after a 6-4-3 double play to get
him out of the jam and kill the Panthers rally.
Gileris struck out two and gave up three hits in two innings of work for the Spartans.
The Spartans got tense in the ninth when Panthers started to mount a one-out rally after a walk to Doug Urquhart. Urquhart scored two pitches later after a wild throw to first and a double by Roberti. But Spartan Closer Adam Kuhn hung on for the victory after sprinting over-the-head-catch by center fielder Chris Ragis. The wind carried the ball all the way to warning track before Ragis reeled it in to end the game.
Ragis said after the game that he felt like he got a good jump, but was worried about crashing into the fence.
“The Pitching really got the job done today,” Ragis said.
Spartan head coach Ted Shipley has watched his club turn it up a notch winning eight of their last nine games. The Spartans improve to 16-16 overall with a 3-5 conference record.