As Cornell University's Chris Cruz's towering walk-off two-run home run sailed into the adjacent parking lot, Dartmouth right fielder David Turnbull '12 could do nothing but watch as the finale of the Ivy League Championship Series and Dartmouth's once-promising season came to a crashing halt. Cornell defeated the Big Green 3-1 in an 11-inning pitchers' duel, sending the Big Red to the NCAA Regionals and the Big Green back to Hanover.
The teams split the opening two games with a pair of offensive outbursts. Cornell took the first game, 11-3, only to see the Big Green rebound behind solid pitching to win, 7-1, in game two and force a winner-take-all Sunday afternoon showdown. It was the second consecutive year that the Big Green has made it to the Ivy League Championship Series only to lose in the third game.
"We had our opportunities, and we didn't come through," co-captain Joe Sclafani '12 said.
Prior to Cruz's home run, the third game was marked by excellent relief pitching and solid defensive plays, especially by the Big Red defense, according to Sclafani. Cornell reliever Kellen Urbon, who entered the game with a 0.59 ERA, held the Big Green scoreless in five innings of relief.
Dartmouth's best chance to break open the game came in the third when the team loaded the bases with one out, and in the sixth, when Chris O'Dowd '13 reached third with only one out. In both instances, Cornell's pitching and defense, including Big Red third baseman Ben Swinford's double play in the sixth, kept the score even.
"There was a ton of really great defensive plays," Sclafani said of the difference between games two and three. "That could definitely account for some of it."
Prior to Cruz's home run, Dartmouth's rookie closer Thomas Olson '15 pitched an impressive 5 1/3 innings to relieve starter Adam Frank '15, who allowed one lone run in five innings of work.
"The scouting report about the Big Red told us a lot of their batters would be looking to pull the ball," Frank said. "We used the fastball and change-up [to right-handed batters] to hit the outside part of the plate."
Left-handed Cruz's ability to turn on Olson's 2-1, belt-high fastball ended what had been a balanced series and one in which the Big Green felt confident in its ability, according to Sclafani.
"We were pretty all the way through, especially given how poorly we played in the first game and how we were able to respond and play really well," Sclafani said.
Cruz captured Cornell's single-season home run record with his 12th blast of the year. The right fielder also accounted for Cornell's other run with a shallow RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth.
"It was just a weird play because their three and four hitters have a lot of power, so our outfielders were playing really deep," Sclafani said.
Second baseman Thomas Roulis '15 was therefore forced to catch Cruz's pop fly, and throwing off his back foot, he could not put enough on the throw to get a sprinting Brenton Peters at the plate. Dartmouth's lone run of the afternoon occurred in the third, when Roulis singled in Nick Lombardi '15.
The first game of the series was not as close, as Cornell jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back.
Dartmouth starting pitcher Mitch Horacek '14 repeatedly left the ball up in the zone, allowing the Big Red hitters, who have scored a league-high 266 runs, to drive the ball to all corners of the field.
"My slider wasn't as sharp [on Saturday], and normally I build off of my fastball, so when your fastball isn't effective, then nothing else is very effective," Horacek, who was chased from the game after 2 1/3 innings, said.
Cornell did the greatest damage in the second inning, when the Big Red offense notched four runs with two outs.
"I was leaving the ball up, and they were able to capitalize on a bunch of mistakes," Horacek said.
Down 5-0 early, Dartmouth head coach Bob Whalen was forced to use his bullpen less than three innings into the two-day series.
"We still believed we could win that game," Sclafani said. "We just tried to get someone else in there to give us a chance to battle back."
Mike Dodakian '14 came on in relief, and after allowing one run each in the fourth and fifth innings, gave up a home run on the first pitch of the sixth inning and was pulled after a subsequent single, wild pitch and a hit batsman. Cornell starting pitcher Connor Kaufmann, who had thrown a no-hitter against the Big Green earlier this year, limited Dartmouth's potent offense to two runs over 6 2/3 innings pitched.
"He threw pretty well we hit him pretty hard a good amount, but we were just unlucky," Sclafani said. "Their defense made some tremendous plays."
Dartmouth came into the series leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, but only managed three runs against Cornell's pitching in the first game. Cornell holds the lowest ERA and opponent batting average in the conference.
The Big Green's lone offensive inning came in the seventh, when Matt Robinson '15 doubled down the line for the Big Green's first extra-base hit of the day. Following a walk and a pitching change for Cornell, Big Red reliever Nick Busto hit Jake Carlson '12 and walked Sclafani, forcing in the Big Green's first run of the day. Thomas Roulis '15 then singled up the middle to bring the score to 10-3, where it stood until Cornell tacked on the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh for a final score of 11-3.
The second game was a reversal of fortune for both the Big Green's pitching and hitting. Dartmouth ace Kyle Hunter '13 pitched 8 2/3 innings of one-run baseball, and the Big Green offense paired singles with infield hits to score seven runs and win the game, 7-1.
Hunter placed his fastball well throughout the entire afternoon and kept Cornell hitters honest with his changeup. The right-hander allowed only one walk and six hits, an excellent performance in a must-win game for the Big Green.
"When you go out there and face a lineup one time, you see where to pitch guys," Hunter said. "It gives you a good basis from where to start."
After an uneventful first four innings, Dartmouth opened the game up with a four-run fifth inning. Matt Robinson '15, who leads the team in batting average, singled to lead off the fifth. Speedy Ennis Coble '13 beat out an infield hit, and Lombardi singled down the right field line to bring home Robinson and the first run of the game.
After a pitch hit Carlson, Sclafani and Selzer both recorded sacrifice flies, and Roulis' RBI single increased the lead to a comfortable 4-0.
"It definitely helps," Hunter said of the four-run inning. "Going up the next inning and putting up a zero is the most important thing."
Hunter did exactly that, and did not surrender a run until the ninth inning.
"I can't speak highly enough of Kyle," Sclafani said. "The kid threw really great it was really special to watch."
The Big Green offense finished with 11 singles, and despite never notching an extra base hit, scored one run in each of the next three innings to cruise to a 7-1 victory.
After winning two consecutive Ivy League Championships in 2009 and 2010, the Big Green lost a three-game series to Princeton University in the Ivy League Championship last year.
The Big Green won its fifth straight Red Rolfe Division title earlier this year, its eighth in the 13 seasons since the Ivy League adopted the two-division format.
"I can't say enough good things about the guys in our class," Sclafani said. "It's been a really special ride."
