The Dartmouth softball team continued its Ivy League season this past weekend with home doubleheaders against Brown on Friday and Yale on Saturday.
The Big Green split its Friday double-dip with the Bears (12-14, 3-2 Ivy League), winning the afternoon game 4-3, before losing the nightcap 6-1.
Brown took the lead first in the afternoon game, scoring an unearned run in the third inning on an infield error.
Dartmouth had an explosive fourth inning to gain the lead. Dartmouth was able to capitalize on two Brown errors, two wild pitches and two walks, scoring three runs on only one hit. The Big Green left the inning with a 3-1 advantage over the Bears.
Brown was able to tie the game with runs in the sixth and seventh innings, only one of which was earned. Pitcher Danica Giugliano '04 allowed five hits but only one earned run in her complete game triumph. She improved her record to 5-5 with the win.
Alicia Petryk '06 led Dartmouth to its victory in extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Carly Haggard '03 led off with a double, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Reiten '06. Petryk then recorded her second hit of the game, a single to left field that scored Haggard for the winning run.
The Big Green was unable to carry the momentum from the victory into the second game of the night. Dartmouth scored first in the fourth inning, when Petryk doubled to right field and was eventually knocked home by Kisa Brannen '03.
But that was all the damage Dartmouth could do.
The Bears scored two earned runs in the sixth inning and four earned runs in the seventh, winning the game 6-1. Senior Christine Quattrocchi pitched the entire game. She allowed 10 hits and three walks, striking out four. She recorded her fifth loss of the season.
"Against Brown we really came out to play and the balls just didn't seem to drop in our favor," Brannen said. "The proof is there that we can still come together as a team and finish this season out strong."
Quattrocchi expressed similar sentiments: "We had great defense, good pitching and we were hitting the ball hard, the hits just weren't dropping for us."
Petryk had a great day, going 2-4 in the first game and 2-3 in the nightcap. She scored two of Dartmouth's five runs, and had one RBI.
Yale (14-20, 4-4 Ivy League) arrived at Sachem Field on Saturday afternoon and edged the Big Green in both games of the doubleheader by a lone run.
Yale came out hot and scored one run in the top of the first of the first game. The Big Green responded quickly in the bottom of the second when Brannen hit a solo home run that cleared the left-field fence.
The score remained tied at 1-1 until the Bulldogs scored in the bottom of the seventh inning on an infield hit that scored a pinch runner from third base. Giugliano was charged with the 2-1 loss. She allowed the two runs on six hits and no walks. Giugliano now stands with a 5-6 record.
In a change of pace in the nightcap, Dartmouth got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth inning as Petryk scored on junior Adrienne Draper's sacrifice fly.
The Bulldogs responded in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, scoring three runs and taking a 3-1 lead.
But the Dartmouth women weren't about to give up without a fight.
Petryk singled for the Dartmouth offense in the bottom of the sixth. Kerry Conway '05 recorded an infield hit that scored Petryk. However, the Big Green was not able to secure another run to tie the game, and lost 3-2.
Petryk had another great game, scoring both of Dartmouth's runs and going 1-1 in the nightcap with one walk. Quattrocchi pitched the entire game, the 45th complete game of her career, but was charged with the loss putting her record at 0-6. She struck out three, and currently remains just three strikeouts shy of reaching a career total of 300.
"I think that we gave two really great efforts both days against Brown and Yale, even though we only came up with one win on the weekend," Reiten said.
"It's too bad that our record does really represent how hard we're working," Reiten continued, "but I think that's all that really matters ... as long as we're satisfied with our effort and play with no regrets, then wins and losses don't matter anymore."
Brannen expressed optimism for the upcoming weekend's games. "I know this team can do it and take it to Princeton. I can't wait to get back on the field and put everything together and win."
Dartmouth, now 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the Ivy League, was scheduled to play this past Tuesday at Providence College but the doubleheader was cancelled. The next games are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania respectively.
