The softball team continued to roll through its competition, extending its win streak to 13 and maintaining a perfect 12-0 Ivy League record with a four-game weekend sweep of Yale University.
Maddie Damore ’17, Kristen Rumley ’15 and Morgan McCalmon ’16 headlined the Big Green’s (23-13, 12-0 Ivy) efforts.
Damore led Dartmouth’s offense, driving in seven on three home runs in Saturday’s second game.
“[Damore’s] capable of it and we’ve known that,” head coach Rachel Hanson said. “That’s the kind of hitter we know she can be.”
Rumley hit the game-winning walk-off single in Saturday’s game one.
The junior earned two wins in the four weekend games to push season her win total to 13.
“She’s a great all-around player,” Hanson said. “She can hit, she can pitch, she can play defense. She’s a great kid and very composed.”
McCalmon picked up both Saturday wins, increased her hitting streak to 13 games and provided crucial run support in Sunday’s game two.
Dartmouth needed nine innings to pull off a 3-2 victory against the Bulldogs (5-27, 1-11 Ivy) in what quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel.
Rumley and senior Kristen Leung both turned in eight innings on the mound before being relieved.
Although Rumley outperformed Leung, striking out two more batters and allowing seven fewer hits, the score remained tied 2-2 entering the ninth.
Leung kept Dartmouth’s batting order shut down until the fourth, when a double by Karen Chaw ’17 scored Katie McEachern ’16 before Chaw herself raced home on a Kelsey Miller ’16 double to give Dartmouth a 2-0 advantage.
“We’ve got good athletes, but approach is key,” Hanson said. “We’re taking big cuts and swinging hard.”
Rumley shut down Yale’s lineup until the seventh when sophomore Lauren Delgadillo belted a two-run homer to tie the score and send the game into extra innings.
Rumley stayed in the game until the ninth, when Hanson replaced the junior after 103 pitches with McCalmon, who retired the side.
In the bottom of the frame, the Big Green placed two runners on. After Chloe Madill ’17 grounded into a fielder’s choice, Rumley put the fourth pitch she saw into left for the walk-off single.
It was a game of missed opportunities for the Big Green, as the home team left 10 on base.
“We need to be a little more aggressive early in the game,” Hanson said.
McCalmon stayed on the mound for game two, throwing a complete game as Dartmouth dominated Yale 10-1 in six innings.
McCalmon surrendered just one run all game in her winning effort on a wild pitch in the second inning.
The offensive fireworks began in the fourth when Damore sent the ball over the left field wall for a three-run shot. Damore homered a second time in the fifth for two more RBI to make the score 8-1. She ended the game with one final home run to left-center to increase Dartmouth’s lead to nine.
“I was pretty calm,” Damore said. “I wasn’t expecting to see any good pitches after the first two at bats, but I was ready to go up there swinging, and she gave me a nice one.”
Dartmouth defeated Yale 5-1 in Sunday’s first game.
Yale led 1-0 after the first, but that would be the only run Rumley allowed over her seven innings, giving up just five hits and two walks while striking out six.
In the third, Yale surrendered five runs on seven hits. Dartmouth loaded the bases and scored with regularity as four different batters had RBIs.
That would be more than enough offense for the Big Green, as Rumley shut down the Bulldogs, allowing only two hits over the final three frames.
McCalmon started the game and pitched a clean first inning before surrendering a two-run home run and an RBI single in the second to put Dartmouth in a 3-0 hole, Yale’s largest lead all weekend.
McCalmon then scored on a Damore double, just beating the throw to the plate after Hanson waved her home.
“First thing I did when I got to the dugout was tell my teammates, ‘and you said I was slow,’” McCalmon said. “It was a big moment, and I trusted coach and she made the good call. Anything could have happened, and I got in there.”
Chaw then plated Damore to cut Yale’s lead to one before the Bulldogs successfully retired the side.
In the fifth, Yale nearly expanded on its lead by loading the bases with two outs. Hanson pulled McCalmon for the final batter of the inning and replaced her with Rumley, who forced the Yale batter to ground out to second to end the inning.
Momentum quickly swung Dartmouth’s way. Dartmouth loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with just one out. Megan Averitt ’15 scored on a wild pitch to tie the game with McEachern at the plate.
After McEachern popped up, McCalmon singled, scoring two and putting Dartmouth up 5-3.
For the final two innings, Rumley was perfect, not allowing a hit, walk or error to blemish her relief effort as she picked up her 13th win of the season and kept the Big Green perfect in the Ancient Eight.
The team next hits the road for an eight game trip starting at the University of Hartford on Tuesday. The team heads to Brown University next weekend for a four-game series.
