Four games behind the top team in the Ivy League North Division and with four games to play, the Dartmouth softball team competed in a pair of doubleheaders this weekend against division-leading Harvard University with the title on the line.
The Big Green's slim hopes of forcing a tie in the standings were quickly shattered, however, as Harvard (34-14, 18-2 Ivy) took the first game of Saturday's doubleheader in Hanover, winning 8-1 to lock up the North Division crown. The Crimson proceeded to win its next three games over Dartmouth (17-22, 10-10 Ivy), sweeping the series.
Audrey Kolodziej '11 said the team entered the weekend focused on what it could control, rather than the conference standings.
"Going into the first game, we didn't want to make it a big deal," she said. "We were just going in there ready to play our best game and do the things that we do correctly."
The Big Green seemed ready to play early in the first game, as Meghan Everett '12 scored on a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead early in the contest. Harvard shut down the Big Green offense for the rest of the game, however, and the Crimson broke up a no-hitter bid by Evan Gray '13 in the third. Gray hit two batters in the inning, before Harvard scored its first runs of the game with a three-run home run. Harvard added two runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh to take the game.
Kolodziej said the loss was "really dissapointing," despite the team's slim chances of rallying to win the division.
"We knew that we had a chance," she said. "Sometimes it doesn't go your way and I think regardless of how we lost the first game, we still wanted to put up a good fight."
Dartmouth struggled to keep fighting early in the second game as Harvard maintained its momentum, loading the bases on three straight hits in the first. Hillary Barker '12 managed to get out of the jam relatively unscathed, allowing only one run to score on a hit-by-pitch before getting a timely strikeout to end the inning.
Harvard scored twice more in the second to push the score to 3-0. Dartmouth finally got onto the scoreboard after Molly Khalil '12 drove in Kolodziej and Noelle Ramirez '13. Dartmouth tied the score at three with a hit by Hillary Hubert '13.
Harvard took the lead again on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning before Dartmouth answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, making the score 7-4.
The Big Green could not hold the lead, however, as Harvard put together a string of hits in the sixth inning to storm all the way back and take a two-run lead. Strong Harvard pitching allowed the Crimson to hold the Big Green for the rest of the game, winning by a 9-7 score.
Dartmouth had to rally quickly, leaving Hanover to close out the season with another doubleheader at Harvard on Sunday. Kolodziej said the team was focused on winning its final games despite losing the title on Saturday.
"All of us have a lot of pride in what we do and the team that we play for, we worked hard all year and it would be a shame for anyone on the team to not put in the effort so we were ready to give [Harvard] a hard day," she said.
The team could not earn a victory in the first game, falling 10-9 in a hard-fought seven-inning battle.
"The first game we played really tough, it was a back and forth game and it came down to them getting a few more hits towards the end," Kolodziej said.
The team struggled to fight back in the second game on Sunday, as the Big Green lost 10-1 in six innings in the final game of the season. Kolodziej said the team was disappointed but could take comfort in its strong effort.
"Unfortunately it didn't work out our way but it's nice to know sometimes that you've done what you can regardless what the circumstances are," she said.
Despite its disappointing season finish, Kolodziej said she is optimistic about the team's future. Kolodziej is the only senior who the Big Green will graduate this year.
"They're going to do really great things in conference next year, and I can't see any other Ivy League team beating them," Kolodziej said. "I'm really excited to see what they do."
