The Dartmouth softball team continued to surprise opponents, coaches and even itself as it came away with two more Ivy League wins this weekend. The Big Green crushed Columbia on Friday in a doubleheader, 7-0, 11-0.
Unfortunately, Dartmouth was unable to continue its winning streak yesterday at Sachem Field, when it was swept by a strong University of Rhode Island team, 8-1, 8-6.
Dartmouth 7 Columbia 0
Julia Doster '97 started it off in the first inning with a two-out single and Rachel Rochat '95 hit a two-run homer, her first one of the year, to put Dartmouth ahead 2-0.
In the second inning, Dartmouth scored three runs on a single by Elise Leroux '95 and a double by Jennifer Pitts '95.
Leroux had another single in the third inning, along with a double by freshman Raili Cook. Pitts and Doster both had RBI's in the seventh inning to give the Big Green their seventh run.
Christina Maybaum '98 pitched the first game, throwing a four-hitter, walking none and striking out seven.
"We felt pretty strong going into the game," Maybaum said. "We took control right away and stayed on top. We definitely played aggressively and hit the ball really well."
Dartmouth 11 Columbia 0
The game was over in the first inning as Dartmouth scored eight runs, with almost every player in the lineup bringing in a run.
Kim Worboys '95, Lauren McQuade '97, Pitts, and Doster all walked, then Rochat had a three-run single. Pitts ended the inning with a two-run triple.
The Big Green picked up another run in the fourth with a homerun by Cook, her second one of the year.
Ericka Lee '95 pitched the second game, throwing a no hitter for 3 1/3 innings before giving up two singles. She finished with a three-hitter, walking none and striking out three.
Rhode Island controlled the first game yesterday with strong hitting and infielding, leading to an easy victory.
The Big Green rebounded in the second game, and lead 6-1 going into the seventh inning.
But Rhode Island miraculously came back and scored seven runs off of nine hits in one inning to earn the victory.
Although the team suffered a disappointing loss to Rhode Island, its wins against Columbia puts the Big Green at fourth place in the Ivies. This feat alone is much more than anyone expected from a first-year varsity team.
"We are proud of ourselves, and never thought our season would be so successful," Maybaum said. "We play Harvard next Saturday, and if we beat them, we'll be ranked third in the Ivies. We have nothing to lose, and we play with a lot of heart. Hopefully, we'll get a couple breaks and maybe throw an upset into our final record."
The team's last game is this Saturday, at Harvard.
