Impressive outings from pitchers lead softball to wins
The Dartmouth softball team dropped two games to Princeton University on Saturday before bouncing back with two wins against the University of Pennsylvania. Its Ivy record is now 4-8.
Dartmouth pitchers Danica Giugliano '04 and Christine Quattrocchi '03 both had great outings, yet each took the loss in their respective halves of the Princeton doubleheader on Friday.
Giugliano had six strikeouts and gave up only two earned runs in her complete game effort, but the Big Green couldn't come through at the plate, and lost the game 3-0.
The Tigers scored first in the bottom of the second, when Giugliano gave up a triple that scored two runs. Princeton was able to score one more run in the sixth.
In the nightcap, Quattrocchi also pitched a complete game. In this game, Dartmouth took the lead early. In the top of the first, Carly Haggard '03 singled. She rounded the bases on offensive efforts by Jessica Reiten '06 and Kisa Brannen '03. Haggard crossed the plate on an impressively executed double steal.
Dartmouth held the lead until the third, when Tiger Kristin Lueke scored on a wild pitch. The Tigers later clinched the game -- and the doubleheader -- in the sixth with a home run.
Quattrocchi held Princeton to only four hits, but it was enough for the Tigers to win the game 2-1.
Dartmouth traveled to Philadelphia for a doubleheader on Sunday against the Quakers. Penn was paralyzed by an explosion of Big Green offense. Dartmouth outscored Penn by a combined 13-3 score.
Giugliano came away with the win in the afternoon game after recording seven strikeouts and allowing only two runs.
Dartmouth scored four of its five runs in the third inning. Jodee Thompson '05 recorded an RBI double, while Haggard and Reiten each contributed to the inning with RBI singles. Haggard would later belt a home run in the sixth inning to wrap up the Big Green 5-2 win.
The nightcap was dominated by Big Green offense. Dartmouth scored runs in the first, second, third and had five in the seventh, winning the game by a final score of 8-1.
"Sweeping Penn could not have been more exciting. Our bats really came to life Sunday, and Penn certainly suffered for it," Brannen remarked.
Quattrocchi again pitched the entire game. She scattered eight hits and three walks to hold Penn to only one run.
Quaker pitcher Nicki Borgstadt pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 10 hits, eight runs (seven of which were earned) and recorded only three strikeouts. Her defense made two errors in the nightcap and three in the first game, in comparison to Dartmouth's error-free doubleheader.
"It feels awesome to finally come out and play to our potential," Thompson said. "Everyone was relaxed and having fun, it shows that this was the way we play best."
Haggard had a great day with four hits and four runs. Petryk also supported the Big Green's offense, going 3-6 and scoring two runs. Both Petryk and Haggard had two RBIs.
"I think this is just what we needed to be able to come together as a team and finish the season in style. It was really refreshing to be out on the field Sunday, as a team," Brannen said.
Vermont hosted the Big Green this past Tuesday in non-Ivy competition. Dartmouth left with an 8-7 victory in the opener and a 3-1 loss in the nightcap.
In the first game, The Big Green took the lead in the second inning with five runs. Thompson opened the frame with a home run. Conway and Reiten each had RBI hits in the inning. Adrienne Draper '04 and Thompson in a second appearance at the plate that inning, both walked. Haggard and Neahr would later get RBI hits for Dartmouth.
By the end of the fifth, Dartmouth had an 8-3 lead. Vermont threatened the Big Green win in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring two runs in each inning. However, the threat was stopped when Draper gunned down a Vermont runner at third base to end the game.
In the nightcap, Quattrocchi struck out 10 and allowed only three runs through her entire outing. However, Dartmouth's offense was held stagnant by Vermont pitching, and the Big Green suffered the 3-1 loss despite a great pitching effort.
Dartmouth's lone run came in the fourth inning when Thompson doubled home Kisa Brannen '03.
"Our bats are finally starting to come alive. Some games we hit the holes, and some we aren't so lucky. But as a whole, we are becoming a dangerous offensive team," Andrea Shute '05 commented.
Guigliano and Quattrocchi hurled consecutive complete games as Dartmouth swept a doubleheader from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell on Wednesday at Sachem Field.
Giugliano improved to 8-7 with one of the finest outings of the season in the first game. The right-hander allowed four hits and struck out two in her third shutout of the year.
The Big Green scored the winning run in the third. With two outs, Reiten and Petryk walked. Brannen then drove in the game's only run with a single to center, leading Dartmouth to the eventual 1-0 victory.
In the nightcap, Quattrocchi won her second game of the season, limiting the Riverhawks to two unearned runs on just five hits.
The Big Green broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run fifth inning on an RBI triple by Reiten and an RBI single by Petryk.
Dartmouth rallied to tie the game at one in the fourth when Petryk singled to open the inning. Brannen then sacrificed her to second, and Draper doubled to right. The Big Green pulled out the win over the Riverhawks by a 3-2 final.
The Big Green, now 10-20 overall, will conclude its Ivy League season with a doubleheader at Harvard on Sunday starting at 2 p.m.
