Courtesy: Gil Talbot

Buzz Classic Schedule and Boxscores

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth softball team opens its 2010 season by traveling to Georgia to participate in the Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech this weekend. The Big Green will play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday taking on opponents, Bowling Green, Liberty, Georgia State, Western Carolina, Winthrop and host Georgia Tech.

The Big Green will get the tournament started with a mid-morning matchup against the Bowling Green Falcons (March 5) at 11:00 am, and an afternoon bout with the Liberty Lady Flames at 1:00 pm. On day two (March 6), Dartmouth will square off against the Western Carolina Catamounts at 4:00 pm followed directly by a contest with the Georgia State Panthers at 6:00 pm. The Big Green will wrap up tournament play against the Winthrop Eagles (March 7) at 9:00 am and then the host Georgia Tech Yellowjackets at 11:00 am. The 2010 Buzz Classic will be Dartmouth’s second straight year competing in this tournament.

The Big Green ended 2009 with a 23-23 overall record, and a 13-7 mark in Ivy League conference play, good for a first place finish in the North Division. The 23 wins were the most for Dartmouth since the 2002 season. Its Ivy League record was the best league record for the Big Green in school history. The Buzz Classic marks the team’s first games of the season.

Dartmouth returns 13 letterwinners and nine starters from last year’s squad, highlighted by senior infielder Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.), who ended 2009 batting .328 with 45 hits and 24 RBIs. Sophomore pitcher Hillary Barker (Duvall, Wash.) also returns, after going 8-13 with a team-leading 78 strikeouts last year. The 2010 season with be head coach Christine Vogt's sixth one at Dartmouth.

After wrapping up play in Georgia the team will then head to Florida for its spring break trip. The Big Green will be participating in the University of South Florida Invitational as well as playing several games outside of the tourney. Dartmouth will open up at home on April 9 and 10 with league doubleheaders against Columbia and Penn.

Dartmouth vs. Bowling Green State (March 5 • 11:00 am)
Dartmouth will kick off the 2010 Buzz Classic with a match-up against Bowling Green for the first time in program history. The 2010 Falcons are comprised of eleven returning players and six newcomers. BGSU will be competing in its third tournament of the season at Georgia Tech. Currently the Falcons have a 3-5 record after scoring wins over Iona at the Sunshine State Classic and then Western Carolina and Virginia Tech at the Red and Black Classic. Bowling Green has dropped games this season to Southern Mississippi, Florida State, Georgi and Winthrop.

Dartmouth vs. Liberty (March 5 • 1:00 pm)
Dartmouth is 1-0 all-time against Liberty, taking a 1-0 decision at the USF Under Armour Classic on March 16, 2008. The two teams played seven complete scoreless innings until Christy Austin () connected on an infield single to allow fellow senior Kirsten Costello () to score from third in the eighth inning. The Lady Flames are currently 3-2 on the year after a successful run in the USC Upstate Spartan Classic in Spartanburg, S.C., Feb 19-21. Liberty is being led by Kaylee West, who is batting .500 on the year with five hits, four RBIs and a home run. Ashley Bensinger boasts a .400 batting average with four hits and four RBIs through five games. Hurler Tiffani Smith leads the pitching staff with a 2-1 record and 20 strikeouts in 14 innings of work.

Dartmouth vs. Western Carolina (March 6 • 4:00 pm)
Dartmouth and Western Carolina will be meeting for the first time. Currently the Catamounts are 3-5 after winning three-out-of-four games last weekend at a tournament at North Carolina Central University. Western Carolina took wins over host North Carolina Central, Barton and South Carolina State. The Catamounts return seven letterwinners for 2010 and currently have two returners batting over .400. Chelsea Schaffer has a .429 average along with Amber Hawkins. Freshman Jordan Fulton is batting .417. In the circle, Amber Steinhardt is 2-2 on the season with 20 earned runs and 22 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work.

Dartmouth vs. Georgia State (March 6 • 6:00 pm)
Dartmouth and Georgia State have never met on the field before. The Panthers are coming off a disappointing 2-0 loss to Kennesaw State. Overall last week, GSU went 3-2 splitting with Georgia Southern, sweeping Siena and losing to Temple. After batting .533 with eight hits, four runs scored, a HR and three RBI, junior first baseman Lauren Jones was recently named the CAA Player of the Week. She is second on the team in batting with a .345 average. Alana Thomas and McCall Langford have split time in the circle with both garnering three victories. Currently the Panthers are 11-3 on the season. 

Dartmouth vs. Winthrop (March 7 • 9:00 am)
Dartmouth is 1-0 against Winthrop having taken a 13-5 victory on March 3, 2006. The Eagles are currently 6-5 on the season with wins over Virginia Tech, Bowling Green, Western Carolina, Siena, Morgan State and Siena. Pearl Coleshill is the only Winthrop player batting over .400 with a .424 average. Megan Evans is 3-1 from the circle with a 1.80 era. She's struck out 26 batters in 23.1 innings of work. Cari Wooldridge is 2-3 with 30 strikeouts and a 2.18 era.

Dartmouth vs. Georgia Tech (March 7 • 11:00 am)
Dartmouth will be taking on the host Georgia Tech Yellowjackets for the first time in Big Green history. Georgia Tech is being led by Jen Yee who's hitting a blistering .587 and recently was named the ACC player of the week for the third straight time this season. Yee has already hit 10 home runs in 2010. Hope Rush has made the most appearances in the circle with a 7-2 record. She has a 1.63 era along with 46 strikeouts. Georgia Tech has a 13-2 record with five of its games this season going to extra innings.