CASTLETON, Vt. – The Norwich University softball team dropped a pair on non-league games at Castleton University on Monday afternoon. 

Norwich (8-14, 1-7 GNAC North) fell 12-1 in five innings in the first game and then squandered a 9-1 lead in Game 2, to fall 10-9 in eight innings. 

Despite a six-run top of the third that gave Norwich a 9-1 lead, the Cadets were plagued by errors as Castleton scored a run in the third and four more in the bottom of the fourth to get right back into the game. The Spartans trailed 9-7 heading to the bottom of the seventh, but Maren McGinn (Georgia, Vt.) and Annika Beebe (Marianna, Fla.) were unable to make the lead hold up, giving up two more runs, including a double steal to tie the game with two outs.   

Norwich notched 12 hits in the nightcap, led by Laura Deaton's (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) 3-for-4 effort. Rachel Kemp (Warwick, R.I.), Liliana Rolfe (Plainville, Mass.) and Beebe each had two hits. 

Kennedy White (Randolph Center, Vt.), Julia Vawter (Pelham, N.H.) and McGinn each had RBI hits. 

In Game 1, McGinn had two hits, while freshman Sydney Wood (Proctor, Vt.) added two more as well. Beebe had the lone RBI hit in the opener. 

White took the loss in both games, starting the opener and then coming on for the eighth inning in the second game. 

Norwich will look to snap its six-game skid on Wednesday when it hosts Simmons University at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the NU Softball Field in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.