Dartmouth Baseball Downs Quinnipiac for Third Straight Win

Wednesday, March 26

Hamden, Conn.

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

6-7

Quinnipiac

4-9

Dartmouth

Quinnipiac

Dartmouth Baseball Downs Quinnipiac for Third Straight Win

3/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

Box Score

HAMDEN, Conn. ? The Dartmouth baseball team broke a 5-5 deadlock with two runs in the top of the ninth to defeat Quinnipiac, 7-5, as the Big Green earned its third-straight win.

Freshman Jeff Onstott (Houston, Texas) had a career day, going 5-for-6, including a two-run homer and a run scored, while senior Jason Blydell (Nahant, Mass.) collected two hits and two RBI. Junior Johnathon Santopadre (Vacaville, Calif.) posted only one hit, but it was the game-winner in the ninth.

On the pitching side, senior Bobby Steinsdoerfer (Crystal Lake, Ill.) shutdown the Bobcats after they scored three runs in the first three innings. He went three innings of no hit ball, while fanning three. Senior Kyle Zeis (Solana Beach, Calif.) earned his team-leading third win and freshman Ryan Smith (Greenlawn, N.Y.) recorded his second save.

The Bobcats got on the board in the bottom of the first after a walk and a single, John Delaney singled through the left side, which plated Ben Farina, who walked to open the inning. After giving up the first run Robert Young (Cleburne, Texas) retired the side, including his first strikeout of the outing.

Pete Kummerfedt extended the Quinnipiac lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer deep to right center in the bottom of the third.

Dartmouth fired with two of its own to cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth. Junior Michael Pagliarulo (Winchester, Mass.) reached a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a bloop double down the left field line from sophomore Nick Santomauro (North Caldwell, N.J.). After a walk, Blydell connected on a two-run single past the second baseman that scored Pagliarulo and Santomauro.

The Big Green to its first lead of the ball game in the top of the fifth inning as Onstott deposited a 2-2 offering over the right field fence for a two-run blast and his first collegiate round tripper. Santopadre got on base with a walk and scored on the play from second base.

Dartmouth was not done there as Santomauro plated Wright with a RBI single to left field to increase the lead to 5-3 in favor of the Big Green. Wright reached on a double past the dive of the centerfielder, advanced to third on an error and scored on the base hit.

Quinnipiac evened the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth as the Bobcats loaded the bases and got the two runs on walks. Zeis gave up three walks in the inning, but struck out the side, including the final two after Quinnipiac tied score.

Senior James Wren (Granbury, Texas) got things started in the eighth with a single to right center and he advanced to second as the centerfielder over ran the ball. After a productive out from Blydell, Santopadre slipped one past the dive of the third baseman to give the lead back to Dartmouth at 6-5. He later scored on an error by the first baseman to put the Big Green on top 7-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.

In the Bobcat ninth, Farina led off with a double and Delaney looked to have poked a single to left, but Santopadre dove to his left and made a spectacular play, throwing Delaney out at first. Smith then got a batter to pop out to shortstop and struck out a pinch hitter to earn his second save of the season.

Dartmouth (6-7) opens its Ivy League schedule this weekend as the Big Green travel to Princeton for a twinbill at 12 p.m. on Saturday, followed by another doubleheader at Cornell on Sunday at 12 p.m.