Dartmouth softball (2-9) opened its spring 2004 season with an 11-game road trip to California.
The team had a challenging start, facing both Buffalo and Brigham Young University on their first day of play March 19. The Big Green battled through game one, allowing only one run and four hits. However, that was not enough, and Dartmouth lost a heartbreaking season opener 1-0.
Jessica Reiten '06 and Alicia Petryk '06 each had a hit for the Big Green. Danica Giugliano '04 took the loss, despite a great effort, allowing only four hits and striking out two.
Later that afternoon, Dartmouth faced BYU. The Big Green had a great offensive showing with nine hits and five runs. Unfortunately, it was not enough to grab the win, with BYU scoring 10 runs and picking up the win.
The Big Green put runs on the board immediately, scoring in both the first and third innings. The fifth inning ended with Dartmouth still ahead of BYU 5-3. The Big Green was able to hold onto their lead until the top of the seventh inning when BYU was able to tie the score at 5.
Later, in the top of the eighth, the Cougars would put five additional runs on the board, and held Dartmouth scoreless in the bottom of the inning to come away with the 10-5 victory.
Reiten and Kerry Conway '05 both had fantastic games, as each played well offensively.
Karin Edwardson '05 pitched six innings and held the Cougars to five runs. Lisa Caruso '04 came into the game mid-sixth inning in relief and was charged with the loss.
After a rough first day, the Big Green was back on the field the next day to face both Canisius and San Diego State.
Dartmouth suffered a heartbreaker against Canisius in their first game of the day. The Big Green gave up leads of 2-0, 5-3, and 7-6 before finally losing the game 9-7.
Reiten had another great offensive game, collecting two of Dartmouth's eight hits.
Dartmouth employed three pitchers through the course of the game. Ashley Thorfinnson '07 made her college pitching debut as the game's starter. She pitched 4.1 innings and gave up 5 runs. Lisa Caruso '04 and Karin Edwardson '05 came in as relievers, Caruso being charged with her second loss of the season.
That afternoon, the Big Green faced San Diego State, losing the game 8-0 in five innings. Dartmouth had four hits, two of which belonged to Petryk.
Giugliano (0-2) started her second game, pitching 2.2 innings and giving up four earned runs.
Karin Edwardson '05 came on in an excellent relief effort. She allowed only two hits and one walk.
The next day, Dartmouth faced San Diego in a close 3-2 loss. The Big Green exploded offensively in the seventh inning. Reiten hit a groundball, which resulted with a San Diego error and lead to two Dartmouth runs.
Those runs tied the game, and sent it into extra innings. However, in the bottom of the eighth, San Diego scored and took the 3-2 victory.
Giugliano started her third game of the season, allowing only six hits and three runs throughout the entire game.
Dartmouth's luck would soon change with a doubleheader versus Central Connecticut. The Big Green defeated the Blue Devils in each game by a score of 3-2.
In game one, Ashley Thorfinnson '07 earned her first win in a complete game effort. She gave up only two hits and two runs and earned six strikeouts.
Almost every member of the team aided offensively in the win. Eight out of 10 offensive players had a hit in the game.
In game two Brittany Copenhaver '04 earned her first win in another complete game effort. She only allowed one run and she struck out four.
Again, multiple Dartmouth players aided offensively to record the win. Adrienne Draper '04 had a triple, and Reiten and Kelly Conway '05 both had crucial singles during the game.
Now 2-5, Dartmouth would face another double header against UC Riverside (10-24).
In the first game, The Highlanders crushed Dartmouth in a 9-1 mercy rule victory. The Big Green scored their only run of the game in the fifth when Draper flied out to centerfield allowing Conway to score from third.
The second game against the Highlanders proved to be much more interesting. UCR took an early lead by scoring three runs in the second inning.
In the fourth, Dartmouth earned two runs with a two-run homerun by Jodee Thompson '05.
Again in the sixth inning, the Big Green rallied and was able to pull within one run of the nine runs UCR had scored. Petryk doubled in Draper, who singled in the other run of the inning.
Unfortunately, Dartmouth was unable to score anymore runs in the game, and suffered a close 7-6.
In the final two games of the road trip, Dartmouth faced held No. 25 Long Beach State (29-7) in an exciting double header.
The Big Green held the 49ers to only one run. Giugliano pitched a noteworthy game. She allowed only three hits and no walks. She had two strikeouts, and gave up only one run in extra innings.
Unfortunately, the Dartmouth offense did not come through to aid their pitcher. The Big Green was hitless and committed three errors.
The second game was a stark contrast to the exciting, low scoring first. The 49ers rallied to score four runs in the third inning and five more in the remainder of the game.
Dartmouth's lone run came in the fourth inning.Thompson singled to second base with Lacey Neahr '06 coming in to pinch run. Edwardson advanced Neahr over on a sacrifice bunt. Christina Ferraris '06 reached on a throwing error by the Long Beach State pitcher sending Neahr home.
The Big Green lost the game 9-1, and closed their spring break road trip with a final record of 2-9. They return home and play a doubleheader against Boston College in Boston on Tuesday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m.
