Castleton Softball Earns 2016 NAC Championship Title

5/7/2016 12:00:00 AM

The Castleton softball team won its first-ever North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship on Saturday afternoon, defeating Thomas by a final score of 3-1 at Spartan Field.

The Spartans (20-11) advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament with the win. Thomas wraps up its season with an 18-19 record with the loss.

NAC Tournament MVP Kayla Wood powered Castleton to victory in the circle, going the distance and allowing just one unearned run on five hits in seven innings while striking out 11. Jessica Babcock and All-Tournament honoree Ruby Bushey had two hits each in the win, with Babcock also tallying an RBI.

Faith Robinson shouldered the loss for the Terriers, going the distance and allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits and two walks. All-Tournament honoree Katie Taylor was 1-for-3 in the game with the only Thomas RBI.

The Spartans got on the board first, pushing across a pair of runs in bottom of the second inning. Bushey tallied a one-out single and came around to score on a throwing error as Sami Carlo was trying to sacrifice bunt. Carlo moved to second on the errant throw before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt with Timi Carone. A base hit by Babcock scored Carlo, giving the Spartans the 2-0 lead.

Castleton was back at it again in the sixth inning after the two sides traded zeros, as Krista Carcaterra ripped a base hit down the third-base line to drive in McKinlie Carpenter and make it a 3-0 game.

The Terriers didn't back down in the seventh inning, as Jordanna Agger led off with a base hit. Sonja Morse reached base on an error with one out to give the visitors runners at first and second, bringing up Taylor. Taylor sent a base hit up the middle, scoring the pinch runner, Cassie Contigiani, and making it a 3-1 game. Wood buckled down, striking out the next two batters to seal the championship for Castleton.

The Spartans find out their NCAA Tournament fate during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday at 1 pm.

2016 NAC All-Tournament Team
Castleton - Kayla Wood (MVP)
Castleton - Brittany Brayman
Castleton - Ruby Bushey
Castleton - Chelsea Grady
Thomas - Sonja Morse
Thomas - Katie Taylor
Thomas - Korrie Laren
Husson - Lyndsay Merrill
Husson - Allannah Healy
New England Col. - Joslyn Gallagher
New England Col. - Jamie Ray

For the Printable Tournament Bracket - click HERE.

2016 NAC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
All start times and dates are subject to change

Hosted by Castleton

Friday, May 6
Game 1: No. 1 Castleton 2, No. 4 Husson 1 - Boxscore
Game 2: No. 2 Thomas 16, No. 3 New England College 2 (5 innings) - Boxscore
Game 3: No. 4 Husson 3, No. 3 New England College 0 - Boxscore
Game 4: No. 1 Castleton 6, No. 2 Thomas 1 - Boxscore

Saturday, May 7
Game 5: No. 2 Thomas 6, No. 4 Husson 1 - Boxscore
Game 6: No. 1 Castleton 3, No. 2 Thomas 1 - Boxscore

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Game 5: No. 2 Thomas 6, No. 4 Husson 1 - Boxscore

Junior Courtney Veilleux (Oakland, Maine / Messalonskee) hit a two-run home run and drove in four total as Thomas topped Husson, 6-1, on Saturday afternoon to advance to the championship game of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Softball Championship Tournament at Spartan Field.

The Terriers (18-18) stranded one runner each in the first two innings but cashed in on an opportunity in the third inning. Madison Bentz (jr., Ottawa, Ill. / Ottawa Township) opened the frame with a double to left field then came around to score when Veilleux hit a two-run blast to left field.

Thomas added to its lead in the fifth inning with four runs on four hits and a Husson (15-25) error. Bentz reached on a single through the left side to lead off the inning, then moved to second when Lexi Colpack (fr., Franklin, N.H. / Franklin) reached on a fielding error by Eagle pitcher Alannah Healy (jr., Brockton, Mass. / Brockton). Sonja Morse (jr., South China, Maine / Cony) followed with an RBI double to score Bentz, then Veilleux drove in Morse and Colpack with a single through the left side. Korrie Laren (jr., Blackstone, Mass. / Blackstone-Millville) capped the run with an RBI double down the right-field line to score Veilleux.

Husson got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Casey Lopes (jr., New Bedford, Mass. / Greater New Bedford Vocational Tech) drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. 

Each team stranded a pair of runners in the sixth inning and one in the seventh inning. 

The Terriers out-hit the Eagles, 11-5, with Colpack, Veilleux, Laren and Bentz recording a pair of hits each.

Morse improved to 16-7 in the circle after allowing one run on four hits and five walks while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings. She also made an acrobatic play defensively to end the third inning, doing the splits to knock down an almost certain single up the middle.

Haley Littlefield (fr., Mount Desert Island, Maine / Mount Desert Island) threw the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit.

Lyndsay Merrill (sr., Bethel, Maine / Telstar Regional), Allison Hill (sr., Calais, Maine / Calais), Sami Cyr (sr., Hermon, Maine / Hermon), Nicole Andrade (jr., New Bedford, Mass. / Bishop Stang) and Olivia Smith (fr., Calais, Maine / Calais) each had a single for Husson.

Healy (11-16) took the loss for the Eagles, allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits in a complete-game effort.

Thomas advanced to the championship game against host Castleton (19-11) later Saturday afternoon, needing to defeat the Spartans twice to capture the NAC title and the automatic berth to the 2016 NCAA Division III Softball Championship.