"We haven't lost back-to-back games since we came back from the spring trip in California," Dartmouth head coach Bob Whalen said in a press conference following Saturday's game, according to a release. "Obviously, we did that yesterday and today, and I'm not going to lie, that's disappointing ... Right now, this hurts."
Dartmouth followed in the footsteps of the last three Ivy champions, who were all eliminated from the NCAA tournament after two games.
Kansas outhit Dartmouth 17-5, blasting three home runs off of Dartmouth starter Kyle Hendricks '12. Hendricks gave up a total of six hits and seven earned runs in his four-inning outing, and took the loss.
A grand slam off the bat of Zac Elgie in the fourth inning put Kansas ahead 8-0.
"I got ahead in the count and was just waiting on a fastball strike," Elgie said after the game, according to a release. "I got a fastball and put a good swing on it."
Capitalizing on a Dartmouth fielding error in the sixth, the Jayhawks scored another five runs on three hits to establish a 15-0 lead.
Four Dartmouth relievers combined to finish the game, but failed to suppress Kansas's offense, giving up eight of the Jayhawks' 16 runs. The five Dartmouth pitchers were outshined by Kansas starter Shaeffer Hall. Hall pitched a complete game shutout for Kansas in front of 881 fans, striking out six Big Green batters. Dartmouth never had an opportunity to attempt a comeback.
"We had a tremendous game pitched against us by [Hall]," Whalen said after the game, according to a release. "He was just exceptional."
"I don't think anything really changed [between Friday's and Saturday's games]," Nick Santomauro '10 said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "It was a different team. Kansas came out swinging the bat really early. It got us deflated when they hit the grand slam, especially after the emotional game the night before against UNC. We got down early and couldn't climb out of the hole."
Before facing Dartmouth, Kansas lost to Coastal Carolina (47-15, 21-5 Big South) on Friday, 11-3. The Jayhawks were outhit 15-6 and struck out six times.
"I think after we got beat up yesterday on the mound, especially when you need to turn your team around, you start with the starting pitcher," Kansas head coach Ritch Price said about Hall after Saturday's game against Dartmouth, according to a release. "And [Hall] was really special today."
Dartmouth shortstop Joe Sclafani '12, who had a .388 batting average in Ivy play this season, went 0-6 at the plate in the tournament, striking out twice against Kansas.
Santomauro, who was recently named to the All-New England second team, drilled two of Dartmouth's five hits against the Jayhawks. Santomauro also had two hits against North Carolina, but did not drive in any runs in this weekend. He finishes the season with a batting average of .369.
Co-captain Rob Young '10 started against North Carolina on Friday and pitched seven innings, giving up only four runs and striking out five Tar Heels in the loss. The left-hander faced a North Carolina lineup that featured six lefties.
"Left-handed hitters struggle against left-handed pitchers," Young said after the game, according to a release. "I was ready for it, but they didn't struggle enough."
North Carolina junior first baseman Dustin Ackley laced three hits during the game to break the North Carolina career-hits record of 329.
The Tar Heel defense turned a season-high four double plays against Dartmouth, allowing just two of the Big Green's 10 hits to result in runs scored.
Matt Harvey started for the Tar Heels and earned the win, striking out three and allowing two runs. Closer Brian Moran finished the game for North Carolina, striking out five of the eight batters he faced.
"Just by coming here today, it is clear that [North Carolina] proved why they are one of the top six teams in the country, and they played like it tonight," Dartmouth head coach Bob Whalen said after Saturday's game, according to a release.
North Carolina went on to beat Coastal Carolina 14-5 on Saturday afternoon and is currently 2-0 in the regional. The Tar Heels outhit Carolina 17-5, making up for three errors in the field.
With the taste of disappointment from the elimination still fresh, Santomauro said he is already looking to the prospects of another season of baseball.
"I can't imagine us working any harder, but we're going to try," he said after the game against Kansas, according to a release. "We gave it our all this season, and it's a shame we didn't come out on top. We're just going to keep going at it, and we're going to come back stronger next year from the summer."
