After this weekend's results, Dartmouth (17-10, 10-2 Ivy) is in first place in the Red Rolfe Division of the Ivy League, two and a half games ahead of Yale (15-18-1, 7-4 Ivy). Meanwhile, Brown (13-16, 5-7 Ivy), the defending Ivy League champion, dropped to five games behind the Big Green.
The Big Green scored runs in five of the seven innings in game one Saturday, while co-captain Russell Young '08 earned his fourth win of the season, holding the Bears to just two runs on eight hits, striking out two.
Dartmouth was not as effective in the second game of the afternoon, both offensively and defensively.
Freshman pitchers Jake Pruner '11 and Dan Ternowchek '11 gave up 16 of Brown's 18 runs. The Big Green capitalized on three Brown errors to score four unearned runs, but that was not enough to keep the game close.
The bats were back in full force for both teams in Sunday's games, when the Big Green mustered 25 runs in two games.
Dartmouth held off a late-inning rally by the Bears in game one when closer Ryan Smith '11 was able to force a game-ending double-play with a tying run on first base to earn his fifth save of the season.
"Ryan's the guy we want with the ball in the late innings because he's going to go after guys," co-captain Damon Wright '08 said. "When he gets the ball we're all pretty pumped because we know he's going to be a fierce competitor out there."
In the final game of the series, both teams traded high-scoring innings, but Smith was again able to hold off Brown's offense to give Dartmouth another two-run victory.
Nick Santomauro '10 praised the team's defense in Sunday's nightcap.
"The defense is always going to come through -- that's what it comes down to in the wins," Santomauro said. "Our guys have been solid in the field the entire year. You're going to have those slugfest days when you can outslug the other team and know your defense is going to come through when they have to."
The slugging certainly was there for both teams. Santomauro hit his third home run of the season in the second game Saturday, and Wright and Erik Bell '08 had two each on Sunday.
"It's just a combination of our team finally hitting that mid-season form and getting into stride and producing power," Santomauro said. "Brown was just kind of a launch pad; they don't have dimensions listed on their field, but the wind is always blowing out. It's kind of a homer dome."
Wright said that Dartmouth went into the game knowing that they would have to produce a lot of runs to defeat the Bears.
"You're never really out of it when you play Brown," he said. "They score runs -- it seems like if we're up 10 or down 10 they're always in the game. Our defense did a great job of weathering the storm."
Wright has been a force at the plate so far this season and leads the team with 26 runs batted in and a .642 slugging percentage.
Overall Dartmouth's explosive offense this season has been led by strong seasons from the senior leadership. Jason McManis '08 and Jason Blydell '08 were both 5-8 on Sunday, with McManis driving in three runs and Blydell four.
Bell drove in five runs from the leadoff spot. His 22 RBIs are second on the team behind Wright, impressive for a batter at the top of the order.
Dartmouth has two out-of-conference games this week before a crucial conference match-up. The Big Green will travel to Burlington, Vt., on Tuesday, April 15 to take on the University of Vermont at 5 p.m., before kicking off a four-game home stand on Wednesday, April 16 against Holy Cross at 3 p.m.
The Big Green will look to expand its Red Rolfe division lead when it host Yale in a four-game set this weekend.
