Dartmouth Softball Drops Early Morning Game to Rutgers

Monday, March 17

Tampa, Fla.

9:00 AM

Dartmouth College

Rutgers

Dartmouth Softball Drops Early Morning Game to Rutgers

3/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Dartmouth softball team began its morning in Florida with an early contest against Rutgers. Despite scoring several runs the Big Green was unable to overcome a four-run eighth inning by the Scarlet Knights as RU came away with an 8-4 victory.

Rutgers began the contest stringing three hits together, producing the first run of the game. Dartmouth was unable to generate any offense in the first but in the second a one-out walk issued to Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.) right before Kelly Mallery (Mukilteo, Wash.) reached on an error gave Dartmouth its first runners on. Then with two outs Kirsten Costello (Windsor, N.Y.) recorded the Big Green's first hit of the game with a single through the left side scoring Parker, tying the game at 1-1.

Despite a hit by the Scarlet Knights in the next inning, a strikeout by pitcher Stephanie Trudeau (Spokane, Wash.) and heads up play by the Big Green defense allowed no more runs to come across. A standup double by Nikki Yee (Martinez, Calif.) in the top of the third gave Dartmouth its leadoff runner on base. Christy Autin (Harwood Heights, Ill.) battled against Rutgers pitcher Katye Hamlin before her groundout allowed Yee to move to third. A bloop hit to left field by Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.) brought Yee home as the Big Green took a 2-1 lead.

A three-run homerun by the Scarlet Knights in the bottom of the frame allowed Rutgers to pull ahead, 4-2. Parker led the fourth off for Dartmouth with a single to the shortstop as the leadoff again took charge. Parker came around to score on an error that allowed Yee to reach base. A single by Autin brought Yee home as the Big Green tied things up.

Rutgers put two more on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Devin Lindsay (Whittier, Calif.) came on to relieve Trudeau. Lindsay began her campaign with a strikeout but then issued two walks and two singles as the Scarlet Knights ended the inning with an 8-4 lead.

Lindsay settled down for the Big Green in the next couple of innings, allowing no hits with two walks and two strikeouts but it was the Dartmouth offense that had cooled off as the Big Green was unable to plate anymore, losing, 8-4.

Trudeau went 3.1 innings with two strikeouts and one walk. Lindsay had three stikeouts in 2.2 innings of work. Hamlin for Rutgers went three innings with two stikeouts and one earned run while Chrissy Yard in relief went four innings with two strikeouts and two runs.

Parker was one of five players to garner a hit also scoring twice. The Big Green had its second game of the Florida trip with no errors. With the loss Dartmouth drops to 2-8 while Rutgers improved to 9-10.

Dartmouth will travel to Deland, Florida for its next game against Stetson University on Wednesday, March 19.