Dartmouth Softball Loses Edge in Title Race, Splits with Brown

Saturday, April 24

Providence, R.I.

12:30 p.m.

Dartmouth College

Brown (2)

Dartmouth Softball Loses Edge in Title Race, Splits with Brown

4/24/2010 7:00:00 PM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

Game One Boxscore
Game Two Boxscore

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Dartmouth softball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Brown, 5-4 but in the nightcap the Big Green bats came alive in an 8-0 shutout on Saturday at the Erickson Athletic Complex. The loss by Dartmouth combined with a sweep by Harvard, gave the Crimson the one-game lead back in the Ivy League North Division standings. The Big Green and the Bears will square off tomorrow in another doubleheader. Game time has been pushed up to 10:00 am to avoid the rain that is forecast for the area.

In the first game of the day, Dartmouth (13-22, 10-4 Ivy) took a 4-1 lead over the home team but Brown (16-19, 4-10 Ivy) clawed its way back to take the 5-4 win. The Big Green gained a 2-0 advantage in the second inning. Molly Khalil (Seal Beach, Calif.) started things off by reaching on an error and advancing to second. Leigha Clarkson (Perris, Calif.) then reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on an error and Khalil came home to score. With one out Alyssa Parker (Spring Valley, Calif.) put a single down to left field, moving Clarkson to third. A single by Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.) scored one more for the early Dartmouth lead

In the bottom of the inning a single brought home a run as the Bears got one back. Kirsten Costello (Windsor, N.Y.) began the the third inning for the visitors with a solo shot over the outfield fence, followed up a Hillary Hubert (Grant Park, Ill.) double. An error and a single loaded the bases before a sacrifice fly by Parker brought a run in and increased the team's lead to 4-1.

Brown was not going down without a fight however, as Katie Rothamel started off the fifth inning with a double to right center. Then, Aly Caplan singled to center field to tally the run, and a Kristie Chin single to right field scored the next two to tie the ballgame at 4-4.

The Bear's stellar defense in the top of the sixth inning kept the Big Green off the scoreboard. A sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Rothamel to earn the win.

The Big Green's Hillary Barker (Duvall, Wash.) received the loss to move to 6-9 on the season. She went the complete game with three strikeouts and four earned run. In seven innings, Chin allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out four Dartmouth batters to increase her record to 10-3 on the year.

Parker was the only player to have multiple-hits with two.

In the nightcap it was all the Big Green as Dartmouth came out fired up, scoring eight runs in the 8-0 shutout. The Big Green earned three runs in the second inning and another in the third to take a 4-0 lead with before knocking Liz DiMascio off the mound.

In the second frame, things began when Clarkson doubled to right center with two outs. Parker was issued a walk before another double was hit, this time by Kolodziej, scoring both runners. A double by Christy Autin (Harwood Heights, Ill.) plated Kolodziej to score the three runs.

In the fifth inning, back-to-back hits, followed by a passed ball put the runners on second and third as Khalil earned her second hit of the day, scoring one. Parker rounded home off a Brown error as the Big Green put up two more runs on three hits. Two more runs on five hits in the sixth gave Dartmouth the eight-runs it needed to end the game early as the Big Green earned its third shutout of the season.

Five Dartmouth hitters had two hits apiece with Khalil getting three RBIs and Costello scoring twice.

In the circle Evan Gray (Edmond, Okla.) earned the win for Dartmouth. She went the complete six innings, striking out two. DiMascio received the loss at the mound giving up six runs on seven hits. Trish Melvin pitched two innings to allow two runs on six hits.

The two teams will be back in action tomorrow with first pitch slated for 10:00 am.