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The Dartmouth
May 27, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Softball opens with losing record at tough tournament

03.08.10.sports.Softball
03.08.10.sports.Softball

The team (1-5, 0-0 Ivy) was blanked on Friday during a 3-0 loss to Bowling Green State University, followed by an 11-0 defeat at the hands of Liberty University.

Against the Falcons, Hillary Barker '12 gave up just three earned runs on four hits in seven innings of work.

The Big Green struggled against Bowling Green's ace Zada Lines who hurled a complete game no-hitter the first of her career fanning seven batters.

In the second game of the day, Liberty scored four runs in the first inning and exploded for seven unearned runs in the second.

Held to just three hits by Flames pitcher Katie Warrington, Dartmouth was again unable to find the offensive spark.

Kat Hicks '12 threw a complete game for the Big Green, which included two scoreless innings.

The Big Green battled back on Saturday, opening the day with a 4-0 win over Western Carolina University before losing 11-2 to Georgia State University.

Against the Catamounts, Dartmouth jumped out to an early lead in the second inning when catcher Leigha Clarkson '10 hit a solo home run her first of the season.

Clarkson had a dominant game, finishing 3-4 with two runs and one RBI.

She singled to left field to begin the fourth inning and eventually scored on a single off the bat of Hillary Hubert '13.

Dartmouth added to its lead in the fifth inning when Kirsten Costello '10 walked, stole second base and came around to score on a wild pitch.

In the sixth, Audrey Kolodziej '11 capped the scoring outburst with an RBI single to bring Barker home.

On the mound, Barker threw a complete game four-hitter while striking out five and walking no batters.

Later that day against the Panthers, Dartmouth was down 2-0 in the top of the first before tying the game in the bottom of the frame.

Nikki Yee '10 hit a one-out single to left field before Noelle Ramirez '13 knocked her first collegiate homer out of left field, knotting the score at 2-2.

The Big Green was unable to produce any more offense, however, and Georgia State plated three runs in the third and four runs in the sixth.

In the pitching circle, Evan Gray '13 posted a complete game in her first collegiate start but gave up nine earned runs.

On the final day of competition, Dartmouth fell to Winthrop University, 8-5, in eight innings before losing to No. 9 Georgia Institute of Technology, 8-1.

Against the Eagles, Clarkson and Hubert contributed more timely hitting.

"[Clarkson] sparked up the offense with her bat on Saturday," head coach Christine Vogt said. "Hitting is contagious and once we had the momentum, we started rolling. We had a bunch of big contributions from the rookies."

The Big Green jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and had a 5-4 lead heading into the seventh.

Winthrop scored to send the game into extra innings, however, and drilled three unanswered runs in the eighth to steal the win.

Hubert went 3-4 with three RBIs while Clarkson went 2-5 with one RBI. Hitting her second home run of the season, Ramirez finished 2-5.

In the following game, Barker struck out four and allowed just six earned runs against a potent Yellow Jacket lineup which featuring 2008 Olympian Jennifer Yee.

Clarkson drove in the Big Green's only run on her second homer of the season a solo shot in the fourth inning.

Hubert was named to the all-tournament team after batting .538 on the weekend.

Despite the losing record, Vogt said she was pleased with her team's first outing of the season.

"We're happy with how we progressed," she said. "When we came out on Friday we had the first-day jitters, and we worked our way out of that and got stronger offensively."

Dartmouth will continue play over the interim in the University of South Florida Invitational tournament against high-profile teams including No. 24 Oklahoma State University.