While the rest of the school was on spring break, the Dartmouth men's baseball team was busy playing against some fierce division I opponents.
The Big Green fared well against the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes. They beat Miami 6-5 on March 24 behind seven strong innings from hurler John Velosky '02, improving his overall record to 2-1 on the season.
Velosky struck out four and allowed only nine hits before being relieved in the seventh inning by senior Jon Miller. Closer Conor Brooks '00 got the save for the Big Green. He retired the side in order in the ninth to secure the win for Dartmouth.
The win stopped a streak l of 17 straight victories by Miami starter David Gill. The Miami pitcher pitched six innings of eight-hit ball with six strikeouts.
Except for the 1-1 tie after the second, the Big Green held the lead the entire way. In the top of the second inning, an RBI single by Dan Becker scored Brian Nickerson '00.
In the third, Chris Miranda '01 led off with a single through the left side. Mike Levy '01 then singled down the third base line, moving Miranda to third. Levy moved over to second on a passed ball, and Nickerson was hit by a pitch to load up the bases.
The Big Green went ahead when Mike Mileusnic '03 hit a bases loaded single scoring both Miranda and Levy to give Dartmouth a 3-1 lead.
Freshman Mileusnic led the team going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
The night before, Dartmouth suffered a tough defeat at the hands of a talented Stony Brook team in Homestead, Florida, falling 22-7 to even its record at 6-6.
Two freshmen pitchers for the Big Green were hit hard as Brian Gattis gave up 10 runs in the game's first five innings, and Bryn Alderson '03 allowed 8 runs in the next two frames.
The Long Island Stony Brook team held an 8-5 lead over five innings, and exploded for 14 in the next three innings, including a seven-run sixth.
Stony Brook hit four homeruns, while Dartmouth managed but one by Brian Nickerson. Nickerson went 3-for-4 with two singles to go with his long shot.
Prior to the rout by Stony Brook and the opener of the Miami series, Dartmouth fell to Vermont 14-6 on March 22 in Florida. The loss stopped a streak in which Dartmouth had one five out of its last six games.
Dartmouth did manage to take a 3-2 lead going into the fourth inning, but the Big Green pitching and defense was shaky, and the lead quickly evaporated as the Catamounts scored in 7-of-8 turns at the plate.
For the game, Dartmouth committed five errors and surrendered 16 hits and five walks. In addition, offensively, Dartmouth had only one multiple run inning, a two-run seventh. On the other hand, UVM plated two or more runners in 6 out of 8 innings.
UVM freshman Jeff Barry had a standout performance with four hits. Dartmouth's Andy Cronin '01 went 2-for-3 and Dan Becker '02 went 2-for-5 in the loss.
This season's ballclub looks primed to make a run at the Ivy League crown if they can get strong performances from their slew of new freshman pitchers.
Perennial favorite Harvard will challenge Dartmouth significantly, but the Big Green's impressive showing over spring break against powerhouse Miami bodes well for future games with other Ivy League rivals.
