In its final conference games of the season, Dartmouth softball split with first-place Harvard in a four-game home-and-home series this past weekend.
Dartmouth (13-25, 9-11 Ivy) swept Harvard (24-20, 14-6 Ivy) on Saturday for the second time in Big Green history, winning the first game, 8-3, and the second, 4-3, in Cambridge, Mass.
The return to Sachem Field for Sunday's games in Hanover did not give the Big Green any home field advantage, however, as Dartmouth dropped the first game, 4-2, and the second, 5-2, to close out its season.
Dartmouth finishes in second place behind Harvard in the North Division of the Ivy League. Princeton (23-22, 18-2 Ivy) ended the season in first place in the South Division.
The Crimson opened Saturday's games, scoring one run on two hits in the bottom of the first inning of game one. Both teams were then unable to score until the top of the fifth inning, when Dartmouth opened the game, driving in seven runs off of six hits to take an 8-1 lead.
Katie Chifcian '09 had three RBIs on the game, driving in two runs on a triple in the fifth. Her double in the top of the seventh brought in the Big Green's final run of the game.
Harvard retaliated with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to overtake the Big Green due to strong pitching from captain Angela Megaw '08, who allowed only three runs off of six hits while pitching the complete game.
"Our pitchers did a great job of keeping runners off base," captain Sarah Bankoff '08 said. "We kept them to a limited number of runs [Saturday], and that's definitely a good thing."
Harvard was first to get on the board again in Saturday's nightcap, driving in two runs off of rookie pitcher Devin Lindsay '11 during a two-out rally in the bottom of the third.
The Big Green was held scoreless until the sixth inning, when Christy Autin '10 reached base on a leadoff walk and was driven home on a double from Kirsten Costello '10.
Hits from Leigha Clarkson '10 and captain Ashley Gleason '09 brought in three more runs, giving Dartmouth a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth.
Harvard responded with a rally in the next inning but was cut short by Lindsay, who got out of the jam with two runners left on base. The Crimson managed to put one more run on the board, however, closing the scoring gap, 4-3.
"I can't tell you how good it felt to take two from [Harvard] on their field," Bankoff said. "Its always nice to play Harvard and its always nice to beat Harvard."
The Crimson clinched a trip to the Ivy League championship game last week, taking three of four from Brown (8-26, 3-17 Ivy) in Cambridge.
Dartmouth stood in second place in the Ivy League heading into this weekend's series, five games behind Harvard in the North Division. But with only four games to play, the Big Green could not qualify for the championship series even if the team won all four games against the Crimson.
"Even though we knew there wasn't anything on the line, we knew it was the last time this team would be playing together," Bankoff said. "Our goal was to go in and show [Harvard] that they can look for us next year."
In game one of Sunday's doubleheader, Harvard jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the first inning and the Big Green was unable to take back the lead.
Megaw, the starting pitcher for the Big Green, regained control after the Crimson's rally in the first by allowing only one run in the subsequent six innings. But stellar performances by Harvard's relief pitchers, who allowed Dartmouth only one hit from the fourth inning on, prevented the Big Green from generating any legitimate offensive threat.
In Sunday's nightcap, the Big Green was the first to get on the board when a sacrifice fly from Clarkson allowed Costello to score during the first inning.
Harvard retaliated in the second when Crimson shortstop Bailey Vertovez hit a two-run homer to left field off of starting pitcher Stephanie Trudeau '09.
The Crimson tacked on another run in the third, and two more in the top of the sixth to end the game, 5-2.
Bankoff drove home the Big Green's final run of the season in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out single.
Despite finishing the year with the losses, the Big Green players has high expectations going into next season.
"One of our major goals this season was to win an Ivy League championship," Bankoff said. "We are still a young program, and we are working towards that goal. We made a lot of progress this season and we definitely have a good shot at it next year."
Harvard will play Princeton for the Ivy League championship in a best-of-three series next Saturday in Princeton, N.J.
