Mike Pagliarulo '09 blasted a three-run bomb just over the right-field fence in the fifth inning to drive in the winning runs for Dartmouth (26-15, 16-4 Ivy) in a 7-4 non-conference victory against Bryant University (32-22) yesterday in Hanover.
"I've hit a lot of balls this year pretty well that haven't gone out," Pagliarulo said after the game. "It didn't go out by that much, but as soon as I hit it, I knew that I couldn't have gotten it any better -- I was pretty sure it was gone."
Reliever Cole Sulser '12 entered the game in the sixth inning and gave up a lead-off double to left field and a two-run homer to right, allowing Bryant to nibble the Dartmouth lead down to 6-4.
The Bryant Bulldogs could not mount a full comeback, however, as relief pitcher Dan Ternowchek '11 and closer Ryan Smith '11 held Bryant to only two hits in the last two innings of the game, despite failing to strike out any batters.
A total of six Dartmouth pitchers combined to allow only four runs on nine hits throughout the game. Co-captain Robert Young '10 started for the Big Green, and Smith posted his 11th save of the season.
Smith has also been named to a midseason list of 45 relievers, from which one player will be chosen to receive the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award.
Kyle Hendricks '12 gave the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead in the third inning after giving up an RBI double after two consecutive singles.
Nick Campbell of Bryant, who drilled one of these singles, cranked out a total of three hits during the game. He now has 84 hits this season and holds the Bryant all-time hits record, with 257 hits thus far in his career.
Dartmouth then rallied back in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring three runs in each inning off of six hits.
Ben Murray '10, who faced the Bulldogs in the fourth and fifth, earned the win after throwing only 17 pitches in two hitless innings.
Two weeks ago, the Big Green claimed its first Ivy League Championship in 22 years after defeating Cornell twice in a best-of-three series. Dartmouth exploded in the third game to defeat the Big Red 10-0, after fighting back to win the first game of the series 8-6 and then losing the second game of the series 14-12.
"[Today] was a tune-up to get ready -- it's been a week and a half since we played a game," Young said. "We have a month in between the Ivy Championship and the NCAA tournament, so we need games to stay sharp. There is only so much you can do as far as intersquad practice. It's just different, especially from the pitchers' standpoint, to face another team."
Bryant is coming off of a five-game winning streak in its inaugural season in Division I. The Bulldogs played in Division II for 40 years.
"They would do fine in the Ivy League, I'm sure," Pagliarulo said after the game. "But, I don't think they have a tough schedule since they are Division I-independent -- they don't have a regular schedule with conference games."
Dartmouth sights are focused on the upcoming NCAA tournament. The Ivy League has not had much success in the championship in recent years, as the past three Ivy champions have been eliminated after losing their first two games in the regional round.
Dartmouth hopes for a different outcome, however, as it anticipates the beginning of the NCAA tournament in a few weeks, Young said.
"We're very confident," he said. "We have one of the best offenses in the country, we've got the pitching to play with anybody, and, most of all, we love being the underdog. We love the fact that we are going to be going in as the fourth seed playing probably one of the top five teams."
The tournament begins with the regional round, which is played between May 29 and June 1. Pairings will be announced on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. on May 25.
"We are looking to surprise some people -- we want to show them what Dartmouth baseball is all about," Young said.