The Dartmouth softball team fell 5-0 to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on Wednesday. The game lasted five and a half innings before heavy rain in Amherst, Mass., forced the umpires to end play.
Dartmouth (10-12, 3-1 Ivy) struggled to get on base throughout the game, and co-captain Ashley Gleason '09 was responsible for the team's only hit.
Dartmouth pitcher Hillary Barker '12 said that the Big Green was looking to build on the team's experience training and competing in California.
"Over spring break, we played really tough teams, so we were expecting to keep up that intensity and compete," she said.
The game started off slow before UMass (16-6) picked up momentum in the fourth inning. Gleason's infield single in the top of the first inning was the game's only hit until the bottom of the fourth. UMass pitcher Brandice Balschmiter struck out nine Dartmouth batters in the first four innings and 13 total. The second inning was three up, three down, with Alyssa Parker '10, Audrey Kolodziej '11 and Leigha Clarkson '10 all failing to connect.
Barker struck out five UMass batters in the first three innings before Carly Normandin and Kyllie Magill finally got on base. Normandin and Magill put UMass on the board and brought the score to 2-0.
The fifth inning was another unsuccessful offensive effort for Dartmouth, while UMass tallied another three runs. A single, double and triple allowed the Minutewomen to bring the score to 5-0.
The intensity of the rain increased as the game progressed, and umpires called the game after the top of the sixth inning.
Barker pitched a no-hitter for the first three innings before allowing five hits and walking one.
"I thought I had a strong first three innings, and then I missed a couple spots later on," she said. "I thought we were really aggressive at the plate, which we've been working on."
Despite a weak offense against UMass, Dartmouth is currently tied with Harvard for first place in the North Division of the Ivy League. The Big Green is looking to continue its Ivy League success in the upcoming weeks.
"No Dartmouth softball team has ever won Ivies, and we want to do it," Barker said.
Dartmouth will return to the field Saturday for the first of five straight home games. The Big Green will face off against Princeton at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Cornell at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
