Dartmouth Softball Drops Two to UMass

Wednesday, March 26

Amherst, Mass.

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

UMass

3/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

AMHERST, Mass. ? Despite three runs in the second inning of the nightcap, the Dartmouth (4-13) softball team dropped a twin bill to UMass at the UMass Softball Complex on Wednesday. The Minutewomen (16-11) won the first game, 7-0.

UMass' first three batters in the opening frame of Game One recorded hits and runs as the Minutewomen took an early 3-0 lead. Brandice Balschmiter in the circle for the home team controlled play early as she recorded five strikeouts and no hits through the first three innings. A home run to Sarah Reeves in the bottom of the third increased UMass' lead to 4-0.

Angela Megaw (Bomoseen, Vt.) came on in relief for the Big Green in the bottom of the next inning, releaving Stephanie Trudeau (Spokane, Wash.). The senior co-captain walked one but then either struck out the next couple of batters or got them to ground out as the Minutewomen went down in the frame without no more runs.

Dartmouth recorded its first hit of the game in the top of the fifth when Leigha Clarkson (Perris, Calif.) hit a hard single to left center. Clarkson stayed at first as the Big Green was unable to get her home.

A two-out, two-run double to right center by UMass plated two more as the score was 6-0 after five. The home team would get one more as the Minutewomen took a 7-0 win.

Brandice Balschmiter went the complete game for UMass, striking out 12 and allowing just one baserunner. Megaw and Trudeau combined for five strikeouts in the game.

Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.) began the second game with a one-out hit up the middle to be the Big Green's second base runner on the day. A walk to Ashley Gleason (Cosa Mesa, Calif.) gave Dartmouth runners at first and second but a double-play by the Minutewomen would strand the two and end the inning for the Green.

Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.) kept the hitting up for Dartmouth as she blasted a single through the left side early in the second inning. A walk to Kelly Mallery (Mukilteo, Wash.) had the Big Green threatening as a sacrifice bunt by Kirsten Costello (Windsor, N.Y.) moved the runners to second and third.

A second hit to left field by Katie Chifcian (Fullerton, Calif.) gave Dartmouth its first run of the day as Parker came in to score. Another run was plated as Nikki Yee (Martinez, Calif.) hit one to center field before a UMass error allowed Chifcian to score and Yee to reach third as the Big Green took a 3-0 lead.

Freshman pitcher Devin Lindsay (Whittier, Calif.) issued back-to-back walks in the bottom of the second to put two UMass runners on. A single to Mallery at short allowed Carly Morin to get one run back for the home team.

A hit up the middle in the bottom fo the third got one more across for the Minutewomen as Carly Normandin tied the game with her second home run of the season off a blast to center field in the bottom of the fourth.

A walk and an error in the top of the sixth had Dartmouth with two base runners as the Big Green looked to break the 3-3 tie. Chifcian knocked her second hit of the game, scoring Parker as Dartmouth took a 4-3 lead.

UMass threatened early in the bottom half of the frame. A hit up the middle by Whitney Williams put the tying run on. Then Lauren Proctor's sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher was fielded and thrown cleanly to first by Parker but unfortunately Proctor was ruled safe as two runners were on. A walk by Lindsay to the next batter loaded the bases for the home team as another walk scored the tying run and loaded the bases again. A hit to centerfield by Jessico Serio gave UMass its first lead of the game as a runner was plated to make the score, 5-4. Two more runs would score as the Minutewomen batted around.

An infield hit by Christy Autin (Harwood Heights, Ill.) gave Dartmouth a leadoff runner in the top top of the seventh. Autin moved to second on a passed ball and then to third on a wild pitch. Gleason hit up the middle to score Autin as the Big Green got one more back. UMass recorded its fourth error of the game as Gleason moved to second and Clarkson reached first. Unfortunately the two runners would stay where they are as Balschmiter struck the next two batters out to pick up her second win of the day.

Balschmiter went 5.2 innings in relief of Bailey Sanders. Balschmiter struck out seven while giving up three hits and two runs. Devin Lindsay (Whittier, Calif.) had her third complete game of the season for Dartmouth. She struck out three while having five earned runs.

Dartmouth opens up conference play this weekend with double headers against Princeton and Cornell.