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MANSFIELD, Conn. – First-year player Elizabeth Mitchell (Coventry) pitched a complete-game eight-hitter and scored from third base with the winning run with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning as Eastern Connecticut State University completed a sweep of Saturday's Little East Conference doubleheader against Vermont State University Castleton at Clyde Washburne Field with a 3-2 second-game win.

After VTSU Castleton (7-7, 0-2 LEC) recorded half of its game total of eight hits to tie the game against Mitchell (2-5) with two runs in the top of the fifth inning of the second game, Mitchell singled to begin a two-out rally in the eighth inning, moved to third on senior Alexa Boone's (Middletown) single and an infield throwing error and trotted home with the game-ending run when senior first baseman Maggie Rubeck (Easthampton, MA) fouled off several pitches with the count full and ripped the winning run beyond the dive of Castleton third baseman Samera Rideout and over the third base bag.

Eastern (5-9, 2-0 LEC) rode the five-hit pitching of Boone (2-3) and got three run-scoring singles and four RBI from junior DP Maddy Bowen (Hudson, NH) to a 6-1 victory in the first game to snap the Spartans' four-game winning streak.

In the first game, Boone pitched her third complete game in six starts, allowing only one run while fanning four, walking four and hitting a batter. The lefty carried a shutout through five innings before the Spartans cut Eastern's 2-0 lead in half with a run in the sixth on Jess Heinrichs' two-out double. The tying run, Heinrichs was cut down trying to reach third on sophomore centerfielder Julia Boya's (Coventry) strike from center field.

Batting leadoff, Boya reached three times on two walks and a single, scoring each time on Bowen's singles.

In the second game, Mitchell earned her first win since shutting out SUNY Old Westbury on the second day of the season. The righty gave up only one earned run while striking out seven and walking only one over eight innings. Mitchell stranded eight over the first five innings, leaving the bags loaded after the Spartans had tied the game, 2-2, with two runs in the top of the fifth inning after there were two out and none on. Mitchell kept the game tied by fanning DP Masson Billert on three pitches.

Eastern took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Boya again scored on a single by Bowen and the Warriors made it 2-0 with another run in the third on sophomore shortstop Kaley Laird's (Bristol) single that plated No. 9 hitter Reagan Lalor (Danbury), who had opened with a double and stole third.

With the score tied, Eastern could not capitalize in the fifth on Laird's one-out double or in the sixth on Boone's pinch one-out double.

Mitchell set down all three batters on strikes in the top of the eighth, setting the stage for Eastern's winning rally in the bottom of the inning.

Eastern plays its third home day in ten days when it hosts Nichols College Thursday at 3 p.m. in a non-conference doubleheader.