Turnbull's Walk-Off Double Sends Big Green to 7-6 Triumph

Wednesday, April 7

Hanover, N.H.

3:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

10-10

Quinnipiac

3-19

Quinnipiac

Dartmouth

Turnbull's Walk-Off Double Sends Big Green to 7-6 Triumph

4/7/2010 5:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. — Sophomore David Turnbull lined an RBI double into the left-center gap to complete Dartmouth's comeback on Wednesday afternoon against visiting Quinnipiac for a 7-6 victory. It was the second walk-off hit of the year for Dartmouth (10-10), which had trailed by as many as four runs before rallying for its third straight win. The Bobcats hit a trio of round-trippers in the game — equaling their season total for home runs — yet saw their record drop to 3-19 on the season.

With the score tied to start the bottom of the ninth, senior Brett Gardner led off the inning by driving a 1-1 pitch deep to left, only to have Ben Farina catch the ball up against the fence. The close call was simply an omen as it turned out as junior Jeff Onstott drew a walk against reliever Brian Monack (0-3) to put the winning run on base. Turnbull, who had entered the game in the seventh as a pinch runner, worked the count full in his first at-bat of the game. Head coach Bob Whalen decided to put Onstott in motion on the pitch, and the strategy paid off when Turnbull short-hopped the fence in left-center, allowing Onstott to score easily from first.

The Big Green were trailing by a 6-2 count into the sixth inning before taking advantage of the lone Quinnipiac error of the day to score four unearned runs and knot the score. Senior Jim Wren walked to start things off, then freshman Zack Bellenger popped a ball into shallow right. The second baseman had a tough play but was in position to make the catch, only to be unable to squeeze the pop up for an error, putting runners on first and second.

Junior Jason Brooks lined a single to center to load the bases before sophomore Jake Carlson and freshman Ennis Coble each lofted sacrifice flies to cut the deficit in half. Just when the rally seemed to be ending, freshman Chris O'Dowd homered for the third straight game for a two-run shot, tying the game at six.

Dartmouth was able to mount its comeback thanks to some terrific relief work by junior Dan Ternowchek and sophomore Cole Sulser. Ternowchek entered the game to start the sixth and retired all four hitters he faced, three on strikes. Sulser (4-0) tossed the final 2.2 innings and was touched for just a two-out single in the seventh. Like Ternowchek, he fanned three hitters in his outing.

The Big Green had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the seventh inning when Gardner crushed a lead-off double. Onstott hit a low missile to center that Gardner through would fall in, but center fielder Ryan Ullrich made a fantastic diving catch and doubled Gardner off second. That was enough for Bobcat starter George Dummar, who was lifted for Tim O'Sullivan. Wren drew another walk and had Turnbull pinch run for him, but O'Sullivan got the final out to keep the score tied.

Another scoring chance arose in the eighth when Coble hit a two-out double into the right-field corner. Quinnipiac went to the bullpen again, bringing the lefty Monack in to pitch who promptly walked O'Dowd. Monack was able to wiggle his way out of the jam , however, by getting a grounder to short. Monack wasn't as fortunate in the ninth.

The Bobcats struck early and often to build their lead against freshman southpaw Michael Johnson. Monack, who started the game as the designated hitter, belted a pitch over the center-field fence with a man on in the first. The next inning, lead-off hitter Mickey Amanti launched a two-run shot of his own after Johnson issued a two-out walk. Then in the third, Monack started the inning with another round-tripper, his third of the year. Quinnipiac tacked on another run in the stanza on a two-out, RBI triple off the bat of catcher Kyle Nisson.

The only runs Dartmouth managed over the first five innings against Dummar came in the first, tying the game at two. Coble led off with a triple, but was gunned down at the plate trying to score on a grounder to third after the throw to first for a double play. The Green were able to start a two-out rally when sophomore Joe Sclafani walked and went to second on a Gardner single. Onstott then sent a rocket out to left just out of the reach of Farina for a two-run double.

Johnson settled down after the rough first three innings with scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth.

Dartmouth gets back into Ivy play this weekend when it hosts Columbia (12-12, 3-1) at Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at noon. Quinnipiac returns to Hamden, Conn., where it will take on Fairfield on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.