UMass feasted on Dartmouth pitching on Wednesday. With offensive success throughout the order UMass added runs in every inning but the fourth and totaled nine hits in the first game.
The Minutewomen set the tone for day in the first inning, scoring two runs off three hits and keeping Dartmouth scoreless.
"I think we came out a little flat due to the trip and some other factors. It wasn't our day," said starting pitcher Angela Megaw '08. "We know we are better than what we showed and are looking to prove it in our next games."
Megaw, who allowed all of the Minutewomen's runs, pitched four and a third innings before being relieved by Abby Reed '08.
The second half of the double header was only more of the same. Dartmouth starter Stephanie Trudeau '09 pitched well early, holding UMass scoreless through the opening two innings, but things fell apart in the third. The Minutewomen tallied 8 runs off 9 hits before the inning ended.
Reed replaced Trudeau in the fourth, making her second relief appearance of the day, but the Minutewomen's bats did not stop and they added 12 more runs.
The offensive outburst set two new school records for UMass, giving the team the most runs ever score and the most double, eight.
The record-breaking game was a team effort as ten Minutewomen contributed at least one RBI. Stacy Cullington led the team with four RBIs, all coming off of a pinch hit grand slam.
Things didn't go well for the Big Green on the other side of the ball either. The pitchers did not get much help from their bats, and the Big Green were held to just two hits and while leaving six runners on base in the first game. Brandice Balschmiter pitched all five innings for UMass.
"Hitting is contagious and we were not able to get bats going the way they were," added Alicia Petryk '06.
The Big Green is hoping that it can bounce back, and it still has more than half the season left to turn things around. The team will take on Ivy League opponents in 14 of its remaining 24 games. While the team has a steep hill to climb to the top of the Ivies, they are a long way from mathematical elimination.
If there is a turn around, a large part will have to be played by freshmen. Half of the starting position players on Wednesday were freshmen. The new blood has made significant contributions to the team already, but their continued growth could help push the team over the hump.
"I really admire the freshman for working hard and filling key roles with a maturity beyond their experience at the collegiate level," Petryk commented on the subject.
Dartmouth gets their first opportunity to bounce back today at Fairfield University. The team will not only face their third game in two days, but will also have to take on a very formidable opponent in the 17-8 Stags.
