A walk-off win in game one and a pair of solid complete-game pitching performances highlighted Middlebury's doubleheader sweep of Castleton in softball action. The Panthers (8-6), who were victorious by scores of 3-2 and 6-0 over the Spartans, return to NESCAC West action on Friday when they host Wesleyan for the first of three-game weekend series, while Castleton (6-8) plays a twinbill at Lyndon State on Wednesday.

The day's opening game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning when Castleton mustered a single run. With two outs, Jessica Babcock singled down the right-field line, moved to second base on a walk by Brittany Brayman and scored on a base hit to left-center field from Krista Carcarterra.

The visitors doubled their lead with another tally in the fourth. Tori Swaine led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a ground out. Sami Carlo hit a dribbler off the end of the bat down the third-base line for a hit, allowing Swaine to move to third. Swaine raced home on a blooper off the bat of Timi Carone that just went over the outstretched glove of Middlebury third baseman Erin Giles for a 2-0 Castleton edge.

Down by a pair, Middlebury started its comeback with a run in the fifth. With one out, the Panthers loaded the bases on three-straight hits from Jackie Stern, Emma Hamilton and Kat Maehr. Stern scored the hosts first run of the game on a sacrifice fly from Kati Daczkowski.

Middlebury tied the game in the sixth when Hye-Jin Kim drew a one-out base on balls, moved to second when pinch-hitter Taylor Gardner was hit by a pitch, and scored on a double to right-center field from Stern.

After the Spartans didn't score in the top of the seventh, Daczkowski singled through the left side with one out and scampered all the way around the bases for the game-winning run when Giles roped a double off the left-center field wall.

Allison Quigley (3-1) tossed the complete-game win in the circle for the Panthers, allowing two runs on six hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts. Stern finished 2-4 with a double, run scored and game-winning RBI, while Maehr also had two hits in four at-bats for the hosts.

Cassidy Tedeschi took the loss for the visitors, allowing one run on two hits in the seventh. Babcock went 3-3 with a run scored at the plate.

In the nightcap, Middlebury recorded 14 hits, including five extra-base knocks. The hosts got on the scoreboard in the third inning on a run-scoring triple by Hamilton to straight-away center field, driving in Daczkowki, who singled up the middle. The hosts tacked on two in the fourth when Giles stole home as part of a double steal, and Carlyn Vachow tallied a run-scoring single down the left-field line plating Sarah Freyre.

The Panthers added one in the fifth and two more in the sixth, as all three runs were driven home on singles by Hamilton for the final 6-0 count.

Neve Stearns twirled a complete-game gem in the circle for Middlebury, facing just one batter over the minimum. She gave up two hits on singles in the fourth and fifth, striking out four and not walking a batter. Daczkowski was 4-4 with three doubles, tying a program single-game record, and three runs scored, while Hamilton went 3-4 with a career-high four RBI. Giles had a 2-3 game at the plate with a walk, run scored and a double, while Vachow was 2-3 with an RBI.

Carone and Katie Gagne had singles for Castleton. Tedeschi was saddled with the loss, pitching the first four innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Carcaterra tossed 1.2 innings of relief, surrendering three runs on six hits, while Gagne recorded the final out.