The trip began with a five-game set in Northern California against Sacramento State. The Big Green came out slowly in the first game against the Hornets, losing 11-3 after falling behind 4-0 in the first. One of the highlights of the game was a two-run home run by Jeff Keller '14 in the bottom of the second that brought the Big Green within two runs. The team, however, was never able to capitalize on many of its opportunities in the following innings, stranding nine on base throughout the game.
"In the first game, we came out sluggish," outfielder David Turnbull '12 said. "We didn't have a lot of heart. We came out that second day wanting to prove something."
Game two was delayed due to rain, forcing a doubleheader the next day and giving the Big Green an opportunity to refocus before the series continued. Dartmouth came out strong in the first game of the twin bill, resulting in a 12-4 victory. The team collected 18 hits in the game and jumped out to a 6-0 lead after only two innings.
The team saw contributions up and down the lineup as seven of the nine starters scored a run during the game. The pitching staff matched the offense's increased effectiveness, as starting pitcher Mitch Horacek '14 went all seven innings, surrendering seven hits and striking out six.
Turnbull, who drove in three runs in the first game, attributed the team's effort to a desire to make up for the sluggish effort of the previous game.
"We just wanted to come out and make a bang," he said. "As a senior, I know that starts with how the older guys play, so I went up there with some confidence, and I got a lot of good pitches and I put a good swing on them."
The second game began as a pitcher's duel, as both teams were held scoreless through the first four innings, but the Big Green bats broke through in the top of the fifth when Thomas Roulis '15 hit a bases-loaded two-run single to put Dartmouth ahead en route to a 6-1 win. Roulis and Turnbull each had three hits in the nightcap, including two doubles for Turnbull. The Dartmouth pitching staff took over as Mike Johnson '13 pitched a strong 5 1/3 innings, giving up only one run. Thomas Olson '15 came out of the bullpen to pitch the final 3 2/3 innings, giving up only two hits.
"We kept putting pressure on them the whole time and beat them in every aspect of the game," captain Joe Sclafani '12 said.
The next day, the Big Green fell 8-2 in a close game that slipped away in the late innings. The team fell into an early hole after giving up a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but starting pitcher Louis Concato '14 settled into a groove, pitching five scoreless innings after the first to keep the game close. The Dartmouth offense scored twice in the top of the fifth to tie the game, but a six-run rally with two outs for the Hornets doomed the Big Green.
The rubber game of the series was arguably the most competitive, as the Big Green ended up on the wrong end of a 1-0 pitcher's duel. The Big Green had runners on in every inning except the first but was unable to capitalize on these opportunities, leaving 10 men stranded during the game. Starting pitcher Adam Frank '15 was effective in his first collegiate start, efficiently tossing six innings of shutout ball on only 72 pitches and allowing only one opposing runner to reach second base. Frank was relieved by Olson, who pitched a clean two innings and only surrendered a single hit. Unfortunately for the Big Green, the Hornets strung together four consecutive singles in the bottom of the ninth, including two infield hits, to come away with the victory.
After a day off, the team traveled to Cal Poly, where the Big Green lost another one-run ballgame. The game was back and forth with Dartmouth building an 8-2 lead after giving up two in the first. The Mustangs tied the game with a six-run rally in the seventh, however, and added the winning run in the next inning. Both Sclafani and Nick Lombardi '15 had three hits in the game, but the Big Green offense did not muster much of an attack in the last two frames, giving the team its third consecutive defeat.
The next day at UC Irvine brought more of the same, as the Big Green dropped another one-run decision to the Anteaters, 5-4. Dartmouth fell behind early once again but scored four runs in the fifth, highlighted by a three-run double from Lombardi. Horacek had a solid start for the team, giving up three runs over seven innings and striking out a career-high seven batters in the game. Horacek left the game in line for the win as Dartmouth held a 4-3 lead, but a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth provided a walk-off win for the Anteaters.
The second game of the set against UC Irvine ended in another 5-4 loss but told a different story. The Big Green fell into a five-run hole after five innings and looked to be out of the game when the bats finally came alive and the team attempted a strong rally. Led by Sclafani, who was 3-for-3 on the day, the team fought back to get the score to 5-3 heading into the ninth. In the top of the inning, Dartmouth kept the pressure on the Anteaters thanks to a triple from Ennis Coble '13, who later scored the Big Green's fourth run, but was unable to plate the tying run.
The final game of the road trip did not go as planned, as the Big Green dropped the last contest 17-5 to UC Irvine. Jake Carlson '12, Ryan Toimil '14 and Matt MacDowell '15 all had two hits but were unable to match the offensive power of UC Irvine. The Anteaters jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead that proved too deep of a hole for the Dartmouth offense to dig out of.
Despite coming out of the trip with fewer victories than they would have liked, the players said they were satisfied with the team's overall level of competiveness and remain optimistic for the season.
"It was definitely encouraging," Sclafani said. "We have been in a position to win games against a high level of opposition."
Turnbull agreed that the games were valuable preparation for the more important league games later in the season.
"It is a huge plus to be playing such a tough schedule," he said. "I'd rather lose some games now and be ready for conference play."
The team was at a disadvantage due to its relative lack of experience this season, as many of the California teams were already nearly 20 games into their schedules.
The trip also provided an opportunity to get first looks at many of the new players on the team. Sclafani noted that one of the most important goals of the trip was to see the new players in action. The freshmen took advantage of these chances and played admirably, with multiple players making significant contributions in many of the games.
Despite enjoying the road trip, the players said they are looking forward to returning to Hanover this week to open their home schedule against Amherst College on Wednesday, when they will attempt to extend the team's 24-game home win streak.
"It's always great to be back in Hanover," Sclafani said. "We play really well at home, and it's good to get some momentum going into the Ivy League season."
