We were looking to use today as a tune up for the weekend," shortstop Joe Scalfani '12 said. "Basically, we were looking to improve our overall approach at the plate and continue to improve playing good defense behind our pitchers. A lot of guys played great and we had a good result."
Dartmouth amassed 16 hits in the game, with six players enjoying a multi-hit day. Centerfielder Ennis Coble '13 and catcher Brandon Parks '11 led the way for the Big Green, combining for seven hits and eight runs batted in.
Pitcher Max Langford '12 went five innings for the win, allowing just four hits. His lone blemish was an unearned run in the first inning after an error by second baseman Jeff Keller '14 allowed Hawks leadoff man Mark Sorbara to reach base. Langford struck out four and surrendered no walks before giving way to Colin Britton '11, who combined with fellow reliever Dan Ternowchek '11 to hold Hartford (3-34-1, 1-11 America East) scoreless over the final four innings.
"Max did a really good job throwing strikes today," head coach Bob Whalen said.
Offensively, Dartmouth did a good job stringing together hits. The team scored in just four of the nine innings but scored two or more runs in each.
After a scoreless first inning, the Big Green got things going in the second. With one out, Keller smacked a double to left and headed to third base following a wild pitch from Hartford starter Tyler Corsi, who took the loss and dropped to 0-5 in the season.
After David Turnbull '12 struck out, the Hawks had a chance to get out of the inning when Parks hit a pop-up to second baseman Brian Estevez. Estevez couldn't haul it in however, and Keller came around to score while Parks ended up at second. Jake Carlson '12 drew a walk and Sclafani drove home both Parks and Carlson with a two-out double to left-center. Corsi proceeded to retire Coble to end the inning, but the damage was done. Dartmouth took a 3-1 lead to the bottom of the second on the strength of three unearned runs.
The Big Green struck again in the fourth, as the third out continued to prove elusive for Corsi. After retiring the first two batters, Carlson reached on a bunt single before Sclafani followed up with a single to right. Coble then doubled Dartmouth's run total by sending Corsi's offering over the left-field fence for his first home run of the season.
The Big Green was on cruise control for the rest of the afternoon, with most of the remaining runs coming in the five-run seventh inning, courtesy of a two-run double by Jason Brooks '11 and a three-run homer from Parks.
Dartmouth's day at the plate, coupled with the team's strong pitching, allows the team to enter this weekend's Ivy League Championship with maximum confidence.
Whalen expressed optimism about the Big Green's recent winning streak, but cautioned that anything can happen in the League Championship's best-of-three format.
"I think the guys have a very confident approach," Whalen said. "They certainly recognize that the playoffs are a whole different season. Everybody's 0-0."
Dartmouth received some good news on Monday with the announcement of the Ivy League's Weekly Awards. For the third time this season, Kyle Hendricks '12 took home the Ivy Pitcher of the Week Award, while battery mate Chris O'Dowd '13 was named Ivy Player of the Week.
Hendricks received the award for a dominating pitching performance, citing his complete-game 3-1 victory over Harvard University on Sunday in which he allowed just four hits while striking out nine. Hendricks' sparkling 2.17 ERA ranks him second in the League among pitchers with at least 30 I.P., while his 66 strikeouts record him at third.
"The biggest part of his success is that he's getting ahead of hitters," Whalen said. "His stuff is good enough that teams have only been able to bunch hits together a couple times this season."
O'Dowd, who scored a homerun, was 8-18 this week, while driving in three runs and scoring six. O'Dowd also stole three bases, tying him for the team lead with eight, an impressive total for a catcher, arguably the game's most demanding defensive position.
The Big Green will travel to Princeton University as the Red Rolfe Division champion in search of its third consecutive Ivy League Championship. The three-game series against the Tigers begins with a doubleheader starting on Saturday at noon, with game three scheduled for Sunday if necessary.
