After the West Coast swing that warmed the Big Green's bats and started Dartmouth baseball on an apparent high note, the sleet of the northeast handed the Green a minor setback.
Last Saturday, the Big Green traveled south to New York to battle Pace University. In the first game of the doubleheader, Patrick Dowling '04 provided his strongest performance on the mound this season.
Dowling pitched the fourth complete game of his career, surrendering only one earned run on six hits in seven innings of work. Big Green hitters barely gave Dowling enough run support, providing only five hits and four runs in the 4-2 victory.
The difference in the game was the fifth inning, in which Dartmouth hitters managed three runs. Cooper Chapin '04 and Ed Lucas '04 both had RBI singles in the inning.
In the second game, Dartmouth bats remained cold as the Setters of Pace held the Big Green hitters to three runs. Tim Grant '04 had another strong day on the mound, giving up only four runs -- three of these earned -- in seven innings.
Grant struck out 10 Setters in his seven innings, but the Green offense was kept under wraps again, only able to muster three runs. Scott Shirell '04 tripled and had an RBI, extending his streak of reaching base to 11 games.
Sunday's doubleheader was cancelled due to inclement weather and the Big Green returned to Hanover with an even record.
On Wednesday, the Green headed to Hamden, Conn. to take on Quinnipiac. Big Green hitters exploded out of their slump for nine runs in the second inning.
In the inning, the big blows were delivered by Mike Mileusnic '03 Lucas, who both hit three-run homers. Jeff Speights '05 also added a two-run single in the inning.
Despite taking a nine-run lead early in the game, the Big Green pitching staff could not hold on, and Quinnipiac chipped away with three runs in the third, four in the fifth, four more in the seventh and two in the eighth.
After its explosion in the second inning, Dartmouth could only manage one more run and fell to Quinnipiac 13-10. On the brighter side, two Dartmouth hitters hit major milestones.
Shirell climbed to ninth in team history by scoring his 109th career run while Mileusnic became only the 11th player in team history to reach the 150 career hit mark.
The loss to a lesser opponent was disappointing for the Big Green men, but the men will attempt to gather themselves with Ivy League contests against Columbia and Penn this weekend.
