Dartmouth Takes Two from Columbia for Second Ivy Sweep

Saturday, April 10

Hanover, N.H.

12:30 p.m.

Dartmouth College

COLUMBIA

Dartmouth Softball Gets First Win of the Season at Buzz Classic

Dartmouth Takes Two from Columbia for Second Ivy Sweep

4/10/2010 7:15:00 PM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

Game One Boxscore
Game Two Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth softball team took two victories from Columbia on Saturday in the Big Green's home opener at Sachem Field. Dartmouth used 20 runs in the 6-4 and 14-9 wins as the Big Green is now on a three-game win streak and has swept its second consecutive Ivy opponent. The victories improve Dartmouth to 5-17 on the season, 4-2 in the Ivy League while Columbia falls to 8-19, 1-5 Ivy.

Behind six runs in the first two innings in game one, Dartmouth took a quick lead. Hillary Hubert (Grant Park, Ill.) scored her first home run of the season with a two-run shot in the opening frame before Leigha Clarkson (Perris, Calif.) led the second off with a double as the Big Green batted around and exploded for four runs.

Columbia put its four runs across in the fourth and fifth innings as the Lions were able to get to pitcher Hillary Barker (Duvall, Wash.) and knock her for five hits.

Barker was able to hold the visitors off and take the complete game victory to earn her third victory of the year. The sophomore pitcher struck out nine batters for a season-high.

Hubert was 1-for-3 with one run and two RBIs while classmate Noelle Ramirez (Pompton Plains, N.J.) was 1-for-3 as was Clarkson and Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.).

In the second game the Big Green put up four runs in the second while the Lions came right back and tied the contest in the top of the third. But Dartmouth proceeded to string together 10 runs over the final three innings to take the lead.

In the second, four runs off hits by Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.), Christy Autin (Harwood Heights, Ill.), Nikki Yee (Martinez, Calif.) and Kirsten Costello (Windsor, N.Y.) gave the Big Green the early lead for the second time on the day.

Unfortunately Columbia put up four of its own runs off four hits in the next inning to tie the contest. But Dartmouth was not done as the home team used three more runs in the bottom half of the inning to capture the lead again. The Lions roared back with three runs in the fifth as the lead evaporated again to just one run.

But a five-run fifth off four runs in ths sixth put the Big Green ahead for good. Ramirez led things off with a single up the middle. A one-out single by Parker advanced Ramirez before Autin plated both with a double to center field. A change in pitchers for Columbia had the Lions walking the next two batters before a double by Hubert scored the final three runs of the frame.

The visitors plated one final run in the top of the sixth but the Dartmouth defense held and took the win. Yee was stellar, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Costello, Parker, Autin and Clarkson each had two hits as Clarkson tallied her three home run of the season.

In the circle, rookie Evan Gray (Edmond, Okla.) picked up her second win in her ninth complete game appearance. She recorded six strikeouts before Kat Hicks (Templeton, Calif.) came on in relief and picked up her first career save.

The Big Green continue at home tomorrow with a doubleheader against Penn that begins at 12:30 at Sachem Field.