The Dartmouth softball team is already well into its season, having played 14 of 40 games to the tune of a 3-11 record.
The team opened its 2003 campaign at Delaware with a doubleheader on March 16. Dartmouth dropped the first game 5-2, but put up a fight in the night game. The Big Green tied the second game 4-4 in the seventh, forcing extra innings.
However, Delaware came out on top with an RBI hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, taking the game 5-4.
The girls then compiled a 2-4 record on a road trip to Orlando, Fla., for the Rebel Spring Games. Four of the originally scheduled games were rained out.
During the first day of the competition on March 18, Dartmouth lost to Rider 4-1 and won over the Dayton Flyers 5-1. Danica Giugliano '04 pitched a complete game against Dayton, allowing only three hits and striking out five. Dayton's only run was unearned.
Two days later, the Big Green again split the day's events. Giugliano led her team to a victory, this time a 7-0 shutout against Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Big Green lost the evening game to St. Peters, 1-0.
Later that week after two rained out matchups, the girls dropped two games -- one to Florida A&M 9-1, and the nightcap to San Jose 2-0. Before leaving Florida, games against Jacksonville State and Towson were rained out.
The Big Green returned to Hanover from spring break with a 2-6 record. The team traveled to Boston to play a double-header against Boston University and was shut out in both games 2-0 and 13-0.
Guigliano pitched the first game, striking out eight and allowing only two first-inning runs. The two Big Green hits came from Lisa Caruso '04 and Jodee Thompson '05, with singles in the second and fifth innings, respectively.
The team's defense was sound as no errors were committed during the entire game. The second game lasted only four and a half innings. BU scored eight runs in the second inning, two in the third and three in the fourth.
Christine Quattrocchi '03 took the loss (0-2) and was charged with five runs. Quattrocchi was replaced halfway through the second inning by Karin Edwardson '05, who allowed three more runs in the second and those scored through the rest of the game. Carly Haggard '03, Kisa Brannen '03, Adrienne Draper '04 and Erika Owen '06 all tried to support Dartmouth's offense with a single each.
This past Saturday, the Big Green battled Fairfield University in another doubleheader. Dartmouth was again led by ace Giugliano and won the first game 3-0. Giugliano pitched a complete game, struck out six and kept Fairfield's offense to only five hits.
Dartmouth's offense was active throughout the entire game, scoring runs in the first and fifth while collecting hits in most other innings. Haggard scored two of Dartmouth's three runs and Brannen finished the game with two RBIs.
In the first inning Haggard singled and was brought home by Brannen's base knock to left field. During the fifth inning, Haggard again hit a single and subsequently scored. Later that inning, Jessica Reiten '06 scored on Brannen's second RBI.
The game marked Giugliano's second shutout of the young season. Her record stands at 3-3, accounting for all of Dartmouth's victories. In her six games she has amassed 38 strikeouts along with a remarkable .072 ERA.
Dartmouth was unable to keep Fairfield quiet in the second game and ended the day with a 3-1 loss. Although the Big Green got on the scoreboard first by crossing the plate on a wild pitch in the third, Fairfield was able to tie the game in the fourth and secure the win with two runs in the sixth, both of which were unearned.
"We had a really good day Saturday against Fairfield even though we only came away with one win," Quattrocchi said. "We're looking to keep that momentum for Rhode Island and Harvard."
Kerry Conway '05 scored Dartmouth's only run in the nightcap. Caruso (0-2) started the game and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Edwardson (0-2) was charged with the loss in relief when two unearned runs were scored in the sixth. Alicia Petryk '06 had the only Big Green hit.
"The freshmen have really stepped up and contributed to this team in significant manners," Brannen said. "I am absolutely thrilled at how our underclassmen are coming through. It almost makes me proud."
Big Green softball was scheduled to have double-headers vs. Iona on Sunday and Rhode Island yesterday. However, both games were postponed due to poor weather conditions. The Rhode Island games were moved to yesterday, and Dartmouth dropped both games to URI by the scores of 5-1 and 2-0.
The Big Green travels to Harvard for a Sunday meeting on April 6, marking the official beginning of the Ivy season. The girls look toward the competition with confidence.
Reiten commented that "in terms of raw talent, I think we have everything it takes and more to win Ivies and especially to kick Harvard's butt on Sunday. I think that if we start to trust each other on the field a little more, then Dartmouth softball will be unstoppable."
