For the second time this season, the Big Green (12-17, 5-3 Ivy) has gone 5-3 over an eight-game span. The first time, the Big Green proceeded to go on a four-game losing streak. This time, however, the team hopes that its string of successes will continue.
"In the early part of the season we try to play against the strongest competition we can, which is good for the team's development, if not for our record," Kelly Fry '07 said about what she considers to be a misleading win total. "I think our success so far in the Ivies is more our hard work paying off than a turnaround."
Angela Megaw '08 expressed a similar confidence in the team's ability. "We are not even worrying about our record before Ivies started," she said. "It's like a whole new season. We are good enough to beat anyone in the conference."
The players themselves may not consider their recent success a turnaround, but they are certainly starting to hit a groove. The pitching staff in particular has experienced success.
For the second weekend in a row, Stephanie Trudeau '09 won two games, improving her personal record to 7-5 and staying undefeated in Ivy League play. Trudeau went the distance in the nightcap of both doubleheaders, winning the first against Yale 7-4 and the second against Brown 2-1. She struck out 14 batters in 14 innings.
Unwilling to give herself much credit, Trudeau attributed much of her success to her teammates. "I'm not going to lie, having some runs on the board definitely helps a lot," Trudeau added. "A comfortable lead, or even a couple runs more than the other team, keeps a pitcher relaxed and loose."
Megaw started the Yale opener and delivered a dominant performance, allowing only one run to the Bulldogs (25-27, 2-6 Ivy) in the fifth inning.
The first game of the Brown series, however, was a different story for the staff. Megaw started again, but did not fare nearly as well. The Brown Bears (13-23, 3-5 Ivy) scored runs in four of the five innings they came up to bat against Megaw. Abby Reed '08 relieved Megaw in the sixth inning and allowed one run, bringing the Bears' total to eight in an 8-2 Brown victory.
The bats ran hot and cold over the weekend. In the Yale opener, Dartmouth got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the top of the first off of five hits. Dartmouth added two more runs in the final inning and won 5-1.
Steady offense continued in the second game, as Dartmouth spread out seven runs over seven innings. After scoring three runs in the third, the Big Green women kept the lead. They added one more in the fourth and three more in the sixth.
The Bulldogs did not give up, scoring three times in the sixth to bring the score to 7-4, but it proved to be too little, too late, and the game ended with the same score.
The offensive production in the doubleheader came from all around, with six players getting at least one RBI. The second game was the first Ivy League win in which Alicia Petryk '06 did not contribute at least one RBI.
"Hitting is definitely contagious. It's all about confidence," said Fry, the team leader in RBIs. "When your teammates are getting hits, you don't feel as much pressure to make something happen, because you know someone behind you will even if you don't."
Unfortunately for the Big Green, it appeared that the team used all of its confidence and momentum in the games against Yale, leaving just enough offense to squeak out one win in two games against Brown.
Dartmouth scored only four runs against the Bears. After plating two runs in their losing effort, in the second half of the doubleheader, Fry scored her team-leading 18th and 19th RBIs of the season to give Dartmouth a 2-1 victory.
Brown jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Trudeau managed to keep the game close, preventing Brown from scoring for the rest of the game and staying just one hit away.
That hit came in the top of the sixth. With two on, Fry doubled to left field and gave Dartmouth the 2-1 lead. Despite this lead, the game was not quite finished. Dartmouth had to sweat out the last inning as Brown loaded the bases before Trudeau could retire the side for the victory.
The win against Brown proved very important. Not only did it give Dartmouth a 3-1 weekend, but it kept the Big Green in third place in the Ivy League, trailing only Princeton and Cornell.
In an otherwise successful road trip, the lopsided loss to a struggling Brown squad lingered on the players' minds after the game.
"Brown was a very beatable team for us, so we were disappointed by not being able to pull it through for the first game," Trudeau said. "Even the second game was closer than it should have been."
Although somewhat disappointed with their play against Brown, the Big Green women are in the midst of their best run of the season and will need solid play from everyone in the upcoming week.
Dartmouth looks to continue its recent winning ways as the team faces off against the University of Connecticut on Thursday before a very important weekend in the Ivy League. The Big Green will host the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday and first place Princeton on Sunday. The two doubleheaders are Dartmouth's first home games of the season.
