Even though their playing time on Sachem Field was cut short due to darkness, the Dartmouth softball team walked away from yesterday's doubleheader against St. Anselm with two victories, the second a no-hitter from pitcher Christine Quattrocchi '03.
In the first game, Kisa Brannen '03 led the Big Green at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. One of each of these came when she let fly a two-run homerun over the left field fence, bringing in Cherie Comeau '02.
By the second inning, Dartmouth had a 3-0 lead thanks to a Brannen RBI that brought in pinch runner Lydia Wheatley '03.
The Big Green built its lead to six in the fifth inning as Jenny Harsey '01 batted in Brannen, pinch hitter Carla Giugliano '02 brought in Harsey, and Carrie Hoverman '01 hit a double to score Erica Morgenstein '01.
Stacy Sanders '00 pitched the entire game, notching the 6-3 win. She allowed eight hits and earned three strikeouts.
"The team looked really solid in all areas today," Sanders said."In both games we jumped out ahead early and dictated how we wanted the game to go."
"Our defense was almost flawless, our bats were really cranking out tons of hits especially in clutch situations, and we were really confident on the field," she added.
The Hawks, handed a loss, now had a chance to redeem themselves in the second game of the day. However, Quattrocchi's pitching kept them from even getting a hit, and the game was called due to darkness in the sixth inning.
Quattrocchi added six strikeouts to her team leading 43.
The first inning saw the most scoring, as Chiara Grabill '01, the team RBI leader, earned her ninth RBI by scoring Comeau. Brannen also scored in the inning on a wild pitch by St. Anselm.
The Big Green's third run came in the third inning, when an error by the Hawks' center fielder allowed Harsey to reach home plate.
In the sixth inning, the darkness forced the umpire to cut the game short, and Dartmouth took the 3-0 win. These two wins improve the Big Green's record to 7-7 overall.
"This season is going to prove to be a record breaking one for dartmouth softball. the team looks sharper than it ever has before," Sanders said.
"We've got great hitters, solid defense, depth in the pitching rotation, speed, and positive attitudes--all the elements requred for a winning team."
Dartmouth will continue the winning tradtion this Saturday and Sunday when the team travels to Hamilton, N.Y.
The Big Green will face six teams over the weekend at at the Colgate Tournament. Dartmouth will play Stony Brook, St. Bonaventure and Buffalo on Saturday, and Colgate, Manhattan and Columbia on Sunday.
"At this point in the season our team is looking very strong," Jennifer Harsey '01 said. "The only thing that I think will stop us is our level of confidence and intensity this year. We have all the tools to have a very successful season this year," she said.
