The rain dried up and the sun came out for a chilly home opener against Tufts yesterday afternoon. With poor Tufts pitching and an impressive outing by Dartmouth starter Connor Brooks '00, the Big Green were able to put one back in the win column by the score of 11-4.
Dartmouth snapped its three game win streak Tuesday with a loss to UMass-Lowell but came right back with a victory that will propel them into the Ivy weekend at home versus Cornell and Princeton.
"We're looking for two good days of practices to prepare us. We want to continue executing on offense -- that's key," Manager Bob Whalen said after the game.
Tufts starter Jon Muga prevented Dartmouth from scoring early despite allowing Green runners to reach base in each of the first three innings. Muga recorded four strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings but was suffering from control problems early on. He walked a batter in each of the first three innings, and ended up with five walks, three wild pitches and two hit batsmen on the day.
Though Muga's curveball repeatedly bounced in the dirt or hung up high, Brooks' pitches were on target. He escaped a shaky first after a bang-bang double play by second basemen Joe Rockers'01, and was cruising from then on.
Brooks allowed one earned run and six hits while striking out seven in six innings, before giving way to John Velosky '02.
Tufts scored the game's first run when outfielder Dan Morse doubled, was moved to third and then came home on a sacrifice fly by Dave Intoppa. The 1-0 lead remained into the fourth.
Tufts' Mugar retired seven straight before yielding the shot of the day -- a towering straightaway centerfield home run to Ivy League home run leader Aaron Meyer '00.
"That's the first ball to dead center I've seen in the 10 years I've been here. It must have been 450-460 feet," Whalen said of the 6' 5" Meyer's blast.
In the fifth, following a walk to Ron Friedman '99, the number nine hitter, Freshman Dan Becker tripled to left-center to drive in a run. Becker was later caught in a pickle at home when Mike Conway '99 was caught off first base.
Brooks showed signs of tiring in the sixth inning, and what could have been a routine grounder to Brian Nickerson '00 at short turned into a two-run error as the ball dribbled into centerfield. Brooks buckled down and struck out the next two hitters to get out of the inning, leaving Tufts with a 3-2 lead.
After Meyer was beaned by the first pitch from Mugar in the Dartmouth sixth and advanced on a wild pitch, Nickerson walked. Following a successful sacrifice bunt by Rockers, pinch hitter Derek Draper '02 knocked in Meyer. Poor control by Mugar persisted, allowing the bases to be loaded for Conway, who reached on an error and knocked in two more runs.
Velosky came in for Brooks in the seventh and struck out three while allowing one hit and one unearned run.
On the day Meyer had two RBI while going three-for-three with a walk. Conway and Draper also recorded two RBI.
"Everyone and anyone might be out there this weekend," third basemen Conway said of the weekend's probable starters. Brooks and Velosky's moderate pitch counts keep them eligible for Sunday appearences.
Rockers had to leave the game with what appeared to be a strain in his left hamstring after diving back to third base. His status for the weekend's games is still uncertain.
One thing that is certain is the team is improving, but more work needs to be done.
"We need to continue improving and getting better defensively," Whalen said after both his second basemen and shortstop recorded errors in the game and rightfielder Draper dropped a lined ball.
The Dartmouth baseball team faces Ivy opponents Cornell and Princeton this Saturday and Sunday with double-headers beginning at noon. Admission is free.
