Dartmouth Softball Splits on First Day of Stony Brook Tournament

Friday, March 21

Stonybrook, N.Y.

10:30 AM

Dartmouth College

Quinnipiac

Dartmouth Softball Splits on First Day of Stony Brook Tournament

3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

Quinnipiac Boxscore
Stony Brook Boxscore

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - On a very cold, blustery day on the campus of Stony Brook University the Dartmouth softball team began with an early game against Quinnipiac before taking on the host Sea Wolves later in the day.

Against Quinnipiac the Big Green notched the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning after the Bobcats loaded the bases with a wild pitch, walk and hit by pitch as Katie Chifcian (Fullerton, Calif.) scored the winning run.

In the first inning neither team was able to get much going as the Bobcats were the first team to garner hits in both the top of the second and third innings. Quinnipiac had a chance to pull ahead in the top of the third as runners on first and second were left stranded. Through three innings the Bobcats had left four runners on base.

Big Green pitcher Angela Megaw (Bomoseen, Vt.) worked herself out of jams in the third and fourth as runners at second and third in both innings had Quinnipiac threatening. In the fourth with two outs and runners on, Megaw struck out the final batter of the inning to preserve the 0-0 score.

Christy Autin (Harwood Heights, Ill.) gave the Big Green its first runner of the day with a lead-off single through the right side in the bottom of the fourth. An error with Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.) at the plate allowed Dartmouth two runners, plating Autin for the first run of the day. A one-out sacrifice bunt by Ashley Gleason (Costa Mesa, Calif.) moved Kolodziej to third before Leigha Clarkson's (Perris, Calif.) sac fly to left field brought the freshman home, making it 2-0.

The Bobcats got both back in the top of the next inning starting off with a standup double by Kristin Sheriff. The wind carried what was a routine catch for leftfielder Autin all the way to the fence. A single to centerfield by the next batter brought one more across as Quinnipiac tied the score at two.

In the bottom half of the frame Dartmouth's go-ahead runner, Kolodziej reached first on the first walk of the day but was out advancing to second of a fielders choice by Gleason. Unfortunately the Big Green was unable to capitalize on its runner.

Top of the eighth had the international tie breaker rule in effect. With a Quinnipiac runner on second, moved over on a sacrifice bunt, a pop up and strikeout by Megaw ended the inning before the Big Green's heroism in the bottom half to win the game.

Megaw went the complete game for the visitors with two earned runs and six strikeouts. Sheriff went eight innings for Quinnipiac as she gave up three runs, two walks and had three stikeouts.

In the nightcap another extra inning affair had Dartmouth and Stony Brook playing 11 full innings before the home team scored enough to win, 5-2.

Dartmouth began the bottom of the second with a single up the middle by Clarkson. A sacrifice bunt by Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.) moved Clarkson to second before a ground out put her on third. A strikeout ended the inning as Clarkson was unable to come home.

In the bottom of the third a one-out single by Nikki Yee (Martinez, Calif.) gave the Big Green hope for the go-ahead run but Autin fouled into a double-play to end the inning.

Despite a one-out double to center field by Stony Brook in the top of the fourth Dartmouth was able to sit the next two batters down to keep the Seawolves from scoring.

Both teams finally scored runs in the eighth inning. Stony Brook scored its runner that was placed at second as Dartmouth's Parker was able to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.

The ninth was scoreless for both teams as one more run came across for both sides in the tenth. Kirsten Costello (Windsor, N.Y.) scored on a sacrifice fly by Clarkson to tie the game again.

The seawolves notched back-to-back home runs in the top of the eleventh as Dartmouth was unable to answer.

With the loss the Big Green falls to 3-10. Stephanie Trudeau (Spokane, Wash.) was the pitcher of record for Dartmouth. She went the complete game with two earned runs and a season-high seven strikeouts.

Dartmouth has a nonconference tilt with UMass on Wednesday, March 26 before taking on Ivy League foes Cornell and Princeton on Saturday and Sunday.