The Middlebury softball team played its first two games on the newly-renovated Softball Field on Wednesday. The Panthers dropped the opening game of the doubleheader against Vermont State University Castleton 5-4, but the hosts rebounded for a 6-1 victory in the nightcap in six innings. Game two was called with one out in the top of the sixth due to darkness.
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. Kelley Dever drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Olivia Scholes for the 1-0 lead.
• VTSU Castleton responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Masson Billert started the frame with a single through the left side and Abby Hacker reached on a Panther miscue. Both Spartans moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a seeing-eye single down the left-field line from Brianna Belisle for a 2-1 lead.
• In the fifth, Cece Ziegler blooped a double that fell in front of the right fielder and spun away. One batter later, Kristyn Carroll legged out a triple into the right-center field gap to score Ziegler before Cate Viola walked to put runners on the corners. Viola moved to second on a wild pitch and McKenna Lont ripped a two-run single to right center to plate both runners and give the hosts a 4-2 advantage.
• Middlebury loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, but Spartan relief pitcher Madison Gould worked out of the jam, inducing a groundout and a flyout to keep it a 4-2 contest.
• The Spartans struck for three runs in the seventh with a big blow coming off the bat of Samera Rideout on a two-run single to left to give the visitors a 5-4 lead.
• Megan Fox started the seventh with a base hit through the left side, but Gould recorded the next three Panthers for the final 5-4 score.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• VTSU Castleton struck for an unearned run in the second inning. Gould singled to right, moved up on a sac bunt and scored on a Middlebury throwing miscue for the 1-0 advantage.
• The hosts surged ahead with four runs in the home half of the stanza. Dever started the rally with a double that clipped the chalk down the left-field line. Sarah LaFond brought Dever around to score on a double that one-hopped the wall in left center. Nina Schroeder flipped a looping single into left before Carroll walked to put runners at first and second. Scholes drove in Schroeder with a single up the middle before Lont doubled down the left-field line to bring home Scholes and Carroll for a 4-1 edge.
• The game remained that way until the fourth, as Lont roped a hit just inside the third-base bag to score Ziegler who singled and Carroll who drew a base on balls for a 6-1 advantage.
• Middlebury starting pitcher Samantah Hausman set the Spartans down in order in the fifth and tallied an out in the sixth before the game was called due to darkness with Middlebury posting a 6-1 win. 

NOTES

• Lont went a combined 3-for-5 with two doubles, six RBI and a walk during the doubleheader for the Panthers. She drove home a career-best four runs in the nightcap. 
• The programs played for the 38th and 39th times with Middlebury holding a 32-7 advantage in the all-time series.

The Panthers open NESCAC play on Saturday with a home doubleheader against Wesleyan. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.