Dartmouth women's softball (8-13) hosted a doubleheader against Providence College (24-12-1) Wednesday. Dartmouth split the two games, winning 5-4 in the first game, and losing 12-7 in the nightcap.
The first game was a pitchers match through the first four innings. Dartmouth senior Danica Giugliano '04 earned her fourth win in a complete game effort. She allowed only seven hits and four runs -- only two of which were earned -- all coming in the top of the fifth inning. She also had five strikeouts in the game.
The Big Green bats were silent until the sixth inning. Kerry Conway '05 started the inning off by reaching first on a well-placed bunt. The next batter, Adrienne Draper '04, singled through the right side, scoring Conway. After advancing on a wild pitch and again on a sacrifice fly, Draper was brought home by Jodee Thompson '05's two-run home run, her fifth of the season.
Dartmouth reached the bottom of the seventh down 3-4. Ashley Thorfinnson '07 was able to tie the game up with yet another Big Green home run to left field. After three walks, Dartmouth had the bases loaded and one out. Draper then singled through the right side plating the winning run and ending the game.
Draper and Thorfinnson both had great offensive games. Draper went 3-4 with two RBI's, one run scored, and one homerun and Thorfinnson was 2-3 with one run and one RBI.
In game two, Dartmouth took control of the game early on. Conway, the first batter for Dartmouth, started things off with a hard hit single. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jess Reiten '06, and was brought home by Alicia Petryk's '06 single up the middle. A walk by Thompson put runners on first and second, and a single by Kelly Fry '07 scored Petryk putting Dartmouth at a 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Dartmouth capitalized on two Providence errors. Both Fry and Thompson had RBI's in the inning.
The Big Green entered the fourth inning with a 4-0 lead. However, Providence had a 10-run fourth inning, dominating the three Dartmouth pitchers they faced. They would go on to score two more in the sixth.
"We had three errors in that ten-run Providence inning," Reiten commented, "We need to play with a more solid defense. It's sometimes frustrating to know we have the talent and the ability to win these games, but the errors hold us back."
Dartmouth would score three more runs in the game, one by a single by Conway and two in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run homerun by Petryk. But it wasn't enough, and Dartmouth lost the game 12-7.
Petryk was 1-3 with two runs, one RBI, and one homerun. Conway, Fry, and Thorfinnson all had two runs and at least one RBI in the game. Brittany Copenhaver '04 (2-1) started the game and picked up the loss. She pitched just over three innings. She gave up only one earned run. Karin Edwardson '05 and Thorfinnson both pitched in relief.
Dartmouth will continue its Ivy League play this weekend traveling to Columbia Saturday and Cornell Sunday.
