No. 1 Castleton Advances To NAC Baseball Tournament Championship

NO. 1 CASTLETON STAVES OFF ELIMINATION TO ADVANCE TO
NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Game 1: Click here for Castleton/Husson game recap and box score

Game 2: Click here for Elms College/Thomas game recap and box score

Game 3: Click here for Castleton/Elms College game recap and box score

Game 4: Click here for Thomas/Husson game recap and box score

Game 5: Click here for Castleton/Thomas game recap and box score

CHICOPEE, MA, May 3, 2008 - No. 1 Castleton rallied to defeat No. 2 Elms College 8-6 in the first elimination game of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Baseball Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Szot Park.

After wet field conditions caused a three-hour start delay, Castleton (20-18) rallied from a 4-2 deficit with three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to eliminate Elms College (12-20).

After No. 4 Husson (15-21) battled to a thrilling 2-1 win in 11 innings over No. 3 Thomas (12-18) in the winners bracket, Castleton then posted its second elimination game of the day with a hard-fought 10-9 win over Thomas in a contest that took 3 hours, 21 minutes to play. 

Husson (16-21) and Castleton (20-18) will now meet in the NAC Tournament Championship game scheduled for Sunday, May 4 at Szot Park. Start time is 12:00 p.m. If necessary, a deciding game would follow 30 minutes upon completion of the 12:00 p.m. game.

In Friday's first round games, Thomas and Husson each advanced to the winners bracket.

Husson posted a 5-3 upset win over Castleton in the first game of the tournament.

Thomas then followed with a 9-3 win over Elms College in the second game.

The winner of the NAC Tournament receives the conference's automatic qualifier into the upcoming NCAA Division III Championship.

NAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, May 2
GAME 1: No. 4 Husson defeats No. 1 Castleton, 5-3
GAME 2: No. 3 Thomas defeats No. 2 Elms College, 9-3

Saturday, May 3
GAME 3: No. 1 Castleton defeats No. 2 Elms College, 8-6
GAME 4: No. 4 Husson defeats No. 3 Thomas, 2-1 (11 innings)
GAME 5: No. 1 Castleton defeats No. 3 Thomas, 10-9

NAC Tournament Championship (date, site, time TBD)
GAME 6: No. 1 Castleton (20-18) versus No. 4 Husson (16-21) 
GAME 7 (if necessary): 30 minutes upon completion of Game 6