Dartmouth women's softball (3-10) headed to Boston Tuesday to play a doubleheader against Boston College (19-12). Dartmouth split the two games, winning 2-1 in the day game, and losing 9-1 in the nightcap.
In game one, BC jumped out to a quick lead, scoring one run in the first inning. The lead lasted until the fifth inning, when the Big Green's offense finally came alive in a two-out rally.
Erika Owen '06 started the offensive outbreak for Dartmouth with a single to left field. Lacey Neahr '06 came in as a pinch runner for Owen, and was able to advance to second on a bunt single by Christina Ferraris '06. Both Neahr and Ferraris came home on Kerry Conway's '05 hard-hit ball to center field.
With Conway's hit, the Big Green had a 2-1 lead. The remaining innings were scoreless affairs, and Dartmouth was able to record a win.
"We really went into the first game with fire in our eyes," sophomore Jess Reiten commented, "and there was no chance that we were going to lose that game."
Pitcher Danica Giugliano '04 was able to record her first win of the season in a complete game effort. She allowed only five hits and had three strikeouts in the game. Her record this season improved to 1-4.
Unfortunately, the second game proved to be much more of a challenge for Dartmouth. The Big Green was narrowly able to escape the first two innings unscathed.
In the third inning, however, BC was able to put three runs on the board, giving it at a 3-0 lead. BC would go on to score two more runs in the fourth inning and four runs in the sixth, invoking the eight-run mercy rule to end the game.
Dartmouth's lone run came in the top of the sixth, when Adrienne Draper '04 doubled to center field and came home on Jodee Thompson's '05 single. Thompson had a strong offensive game, going two for three with one extra-base hit in the second inning and an RBI in the sixth.
Dartmouth employed the services of three different pitchers throughout the course of the six-inning game.
Karin Edwardson '05 (0-2) started the game and took the loss. She pitched 4 innings and was replaced by Brittany Copenhaver '04, who finished out the fourth inning. Edwardson allowed six hits and five runs, while striking out three. Copenhaver allowed four hits and four runs while striking out two.
Ashley Thorfinnson '07 was the third Dartmouth pitcher inserted into the game, the final score of which was 9-1.
Thompson remarked on the day's split record, expressing confidence in her team.
"Against BC we had great defense and clutch hits when we needed them in the first game" Thompson said. "We just went into the second game a little back on our heels and BC just took advantage of that."
"Looking forward, though," she continued, "as long as our team keeps hitting well and putting a lot of runs on the board, our defense is good enough to beat anyone out there this season."
Reiten expressed similar confidence in the team: "I'm really pleased with the amount of determination and heart we're playing with right now. We are doing a great job of pulling together and playing as a team when we really need to."
Dartmouth looks to improve upon its 3-10 record this season when it travels to Central Connecticut this weekend for a double-header.
