GLEN FALLS, N.Y. – The Castleton State College baseball team advanced to the NAC conference final with a 7-1 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington Saturday evening.

Will LaRose tossed eight innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits and one walk while striking out three in the must-win for the Spartans (25-14).

Castleton broke through for a run in the second inning as Garrett Bissonnette singled with two outs, and scored on a double to left field by Ted Mills. The Spartans scored again in the fifth inning as Mills singled and later scored on a David Raczka single to right field.

In an earlier game, Josh Garneau smacked five hits to lead the University of Maine at Farmington to a 10-6 victory over Thomas College and stay alive in the NAC baseball tournament for the moment.

The Beavers (5-23) plated five runs in the top of the second inning, a single run in the third and two runs in each of the sixth and ninth innings. Garneau recorded a pair of doubles and drove in three runs.

Softball

Williams 14, Bates 6

MEDFORD, Mass. – Williams College broke out with eight runs in the fifth inning and another four in the sixth to send Bates packing with a 14-6, six-inning loss in NESCAC playoff action Saturday.

The Bobcats (12-16) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and improved to 5-1 by the top of the third frame. But the Ephs got one back in the bottom of the third to make it 5-2.

Then Williams went on to strike for six hits and took advantage of five Bates errors in the fifth inning to take an impressive lead that spelled the beginning of the end for Bates.

Senior Stacia Saniuk went 2-for-3 in her last game with the Bobcats, and ends her career with a whopping seven career offensive records. She has most hits (127), most home runs (20), most doubles (26), most extra-base hits (48), most total bases (219), most runs batted in (88) and most bases on balls (40).

Husson 7, UMF 3

BANGOR – The Husson University Eagles scored four runs in the first inning en route to a 7-3 victory over the University of Maine at Farmington to win their first ever NAC Conference Championship.

The Beavers (17-13) struck first in the top of the first inning with a two-run double by Shannon Mitchell. The Eagles (26-14) shot back with a pair of runs and added two more in the bottom of the frame when Cassie Berry hit a two-run homer to dead centerfield.

Sophomore Megan Bradstreet was the only Eagle to record two hits as she went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Berry finished the game with two RBIs and two runs scored and drew two walks.

In an elimination game, sophomore McKell Barns of Durham powered the University of Maine at Farmington past Thomas College, 8-4, in the NAC tournament on Saturday.

The Beavers (17-12) were trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Kasey Mcphail loaded the bases on a bunt single. Erin Porter brought the Beavers within one run with a two out RBI infield single. Barnes stepped up and ripped a base clearing double to left-center to give the Beavers their first lead of the game, 6-4.

Women’s track

Alexander sets meet mark

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Bates College women’s track and field team finished ninth for the third year in a row at the New England Division III Outdoor Championships on Saturday.

Highlighting the day for the Bobcats, senior Izzy Alexander broke the meet record in the 400-meter hurdles, winning the event in 1:01.78 and slicing 0.18 seconds off the previous NED III record.

Junior Vantiel Elizabeth Duncan of Topsham won her first New England title in the shot put, with a top heave of 42-04.00. Senior Jen Marino placed fifth in the triple jump, with a top effort of 36-02.00.

First-year Tina Tobin finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.70 seconds, scoring three points for the Bobcats. The Bobcats scored 40.5 points, well ahead of 10th-place Brandeis.

Men’s track

Bates finishes 5th

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Bates College men’s track and field team placed fifth out of 26 scoring teams at the New England Division III Outdoor Championships on Saturday.

Bates junior Rich McNeil came in second in the shot put at 49-07.00 and was also seventh in the discus throw at 142-02, a day after finishing third in the hammer throw.

Sophomore Christopher Murtagh, fresh off his second straight NESCAC title in the javelin throw, finished third at the New Englands, 180-07.

Senior Jerome Bennett placed fourth in the high jump at 6-02.75, and also tied for fifth in the pole vault at 14-03.25. Sophomore Devin Dilts came in fifth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 9:41.76, while first-year Sam Goldstein placed fourth in the pole vault at 14-03.25.