With their season on life support the winner of game one has gone on to win the Ivy Championship Series eight seasons in a row the Dartmouth players knew they had to play their best baseball of the season to salvage the series, and they did.
Over the next game and a half, the Big Green outscored the Lions 21-6, en route to its second consecutive Ivy League title.
"We had not panicked all year, and we were not going to panic then," manager Bob Whalen said. "This has been one of the most tough-minded and resilient teams I have ever coached."
After finishing with a 16-4 regular season conference record last season, Dartmouth lost the opening game of each of its first four series against Ivy League opponents this season.
The turning point came in game two of its series against the University of Pennsylvania.
In that second game, the Big Green lineup scored one run in the fifth and one more in the seventh to even the score at two. Later in the game, Jake Carlson '12 delivered a walk-off RBI hit over the center fielder's head in the 11th inning, giving the team its fourth Ivy victory of the season.
The extra-inning heroics sparked Dartmouth to win seven of its next eight games. The Big Green swept Yale University in a four-game series at home and took three of four on the road from Brown, who had been the leader of the Rolfe Division in the first part of the season.
"The Yale series was a big turning point for us," pitcher Cole Sulser '12 said. "It really helped prove to us that we had the depth to win consistently."
Going into the final weekend of the season, Dartmouth needed only one win out of four games against Harvard University to secure a spot in the Ivy League Championship series, but the Big Green dropped the first two games of the series on the road.
"Losing those two games was the best thing that happened to us all year," Whalen said. "[The players] realized that they couldn't just throw their gloves on the field and expect to win. We had to earn it."
In the next game back home at Red Rolfe Field, Dartmouth starter Kyle Hendricks '12 threw a seven-inning complete game two-hitter to clinch the Rolfe Division title for the Big Green for the third consecutive season. Dartmouth went on to win the second game of the doubleheader and finished the regular season with a 13-7 conference record and a 12-2 mark at home.
While last year's Dartmouth team was an offensive juggernaut, relying on power and big innings to win ball games. This year's team is more pitching and defense oriented. The Big Green committed only 34 errors all season, tied for third fewest in the nation.
"We did a really good job of not giving away anything for free," Whalen said. "We forced the other team to beat us with their bats."
The bullpen also played a big role in Dartmouth's success this season. The Big Green was 21-0 in games in which it led after the sixth inning.
"Our bullpen has been big all season," first baseman Jason Brooks '11 said. "We are very comfortable playing with a lead late in games."
Bullpen workhorse Sulser registered 54 strikeouts in 50 and two-thirds innings of work this season. He finished with a perfect 7-0 record and a 3.91 ERA while holding opponents to a paltry .244 batting average.
Closer Ryan Smith '11 struck out 14 while walking only three in over 19 innings of relief work this season and finished with a team-high six saves.
"It's great having [Smith] in the bullpen for us," Sulser said. "If you get into trouble, you can call on a guy like Ryan to come and get out of the jam for you."
Kyle Hunter '13 led the team with a 3.66 ERA and had a 2-0 record in eight starts, while senior captain Rob Young '10 led the team in innings pitched and finished the season 3-4 with a 5.91 ERA.
On offense, catcher Chris O'Dowd '13 led the team with a .375 batting average, .481 on-base percentage and .644 slugging percentage, as well as tying for first with five home runs. Brooks had a team-high 39 RBIs, while leadoff hitter Joe Sclafani '12 and freshman Ennis Coble '13 tied for the team lead with 28 runs scored.
In preparation for the NCAA Regional tournament, the Big Green scheduled games against Castleton State College and Boston College. Dartmouth capitalized on home field advantage and made quick work of Castleton State, winning easily 14-4 on Friday. The Big Green fell behind early against BC on Sunday and were unable to muster any heroics falling 10-4.
Up next for the Big Green will be the NCAA Regionals, which begin on June 4.
