Dartmouth Softball Sweeps Brown, Increases Lead in Division

Sunday, April 12

Hanover, N.H.

12:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

BROWN (dh)

Dartmouth Softball Sweeps Brown, Increases Lead in Division

4/12/2009 4:30:00 PM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. - The Dartmouth softball team went up 4-0 on visiting Brown in the opener on Sunday but the Bears came back to keep it close but the Big Green held on for the 5-4 victory. In the nightcap Dartmouth pummeled Brown in the nightcap, 11-2 in five innings. The sweep gives the Big Green an 18-14 overall record, 9-3 in the Ivy League. Brown fell to 10-18 overall, 4-8 in the league.

Dartmouth increased its lead in the Northern Division with the two wins as Yale also swept Harvard on Sunday with two more games between the two scheduled for Monday.

In the first inning the Big Green put four across to take an early lead. With two outs Ashley Gleason (Costa Mesa, Calif.) walked before Molly Khalil (Seal Beach, Calif.) singled and moved Gleason to third. Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.) singled through the right side, scoring Gleason as Khalil advanced to third. Leigha Clarkson (Perris, Calif.) then blasted a home run to right field, plating three more.

One more run on three hits in the second gave Dartmouth a 5-0 lead but Brown began storming back with two runs in the third before making things interesting in the sixth, putting two more across but in the seventh with two Brown runners on, the Dartmouth defense held strong and got the final out at the plate, taking the 5-4 win.

For the game seven different players recorded one hit while Clarkson led the squad with three RBIs. In the circle Devin Lindsay (Whittier, Calif.) took the win as she went three innings with two strikeouts. Hillary Barker (Duvall, Wash.) came on in relief, going four innings, giving up just two earned runs.

In the nightcap the Big Green bats got going and never looked back. Costello led off with a home run to right field, the third of her career as Dartmouth put seven across on eight hits in the opening frame. With one out Gleason singled before Parker singled to right field. Clarkson continued her hitting with a double to right center, plating two. Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.) also doubled up Brown starter Trish Melvin as Meghan Everett (Flemington, N.J.) and Kat Hicks (Templeton, Calif.) both scored. Another hit by Costello had Dartmouth hitting around.

The Big Green added two more on three hits in the next innings Clarkson punched a two-out single through the left side and then scored, along with Kolodziej on a Hicks double to right center.

Despite two hits and bases loaded in the fourth, Dartmouth was only able to get one run across, adding to its lead. Brown finally got two across in the fifth but it wasn't enough as the Big Green ended the game early, 11-2.

Clarkson and Kolodziej both had a day, going 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBIs. Costello was also 3-for-3 with one run and three RBIs as Gleason and Hicks each added two hits.

In the circle Hicks also proved her worth as the freshman had the shutout going until the fifth when she gave up the only two Brown runs of the game. She wen the complete game, striking out two.

Dartmouth will hit the road on Wednesday, April 15 for a single game at the University of Connecticut before traveling to Yale for two days of divisional doubleheaders against the Bulldogs.