Penn Rallies in Both Games to Defeat Dartmouth Softball

Sunday, April 3

Philadelphia, Pa.

12:30 PM

Dartmouth College

Penn

Penn Rallies in Both Games to Defeat Dartmouth Softball

4/3/2011 4:22:00 PM | Softball

By: Dartmouth

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Penn Quakers used late rallies in both the first and second game of a doubleheader on Sunday to snatch victory from the Dartmouth softball team. The Big Green (7-12, 2-2 Ivy) held the lead late in both contests as Penn tallied five runs in the seventh to win game one, 9-8 and then used two home runs in the seventh and eighth innings of game two to win, 10-8.

In the first game, Dartmouth jumped out to an early lead, scoring twice in the top of the first inning off of singles by Noelle Ramirez (Pompton Plains, N.J.) and Hillary Barker (Duvall, Wash.). However, the Quakers responded in the bottom of the inning with a three spot of their own. Alisha Prystowsky plated two with her first home run of the season, making the score 3-2 in favor of Penn.

The second and third innings would not be as eventful as neither side could do anything offensively. In the top of the fourth Molly Khalil (Seal Beach, Calif.) got on a base off an error as Bianca Smith (Sewickley, Pa.) came on to pinch run and came around to score off of singles by Kat Hicks (Templeton, Calif.) and Britta McOmber (Bothell, Wash.), tying the game at 3-3.

In the top of the fifth, Dartmouth took the lead again with two more runs after Audrey Kolodziej (Morton Grove, Ill.) and Ramirez scored on a fielders choice by Barker and a double by Khalil. Cailyn Hennessy came on in relief and got two strikeouts to get Penn out of the jam without any further damage. The Quakers again got one run back in the bottom of the frame, making the score 5-4 in favor of the Big Green.

Both sides went down in order in the sixth, which set the stage for the seventh. Dartmouth led off its seventh with a solo home run by Ramirez and followed that up with a single and walk that brought home Smith and Jonele Conceicao (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), making it 8-4 for the visitors.

Penn came alive on the bench and at the plate in the bottom half of the inning as a double and a single put runners on. The Big Green went to the bullpen as Barker came on in relief and the move seemed to pan out as Dartmouth got a strikeout to get the first out.

A single to right field that got away from Conceicao advanced the runner to second. That hit brought home the first two runs of the inning and made the score 8-6 with the tying run coming to the plate. A hit by pitch put runners on first and second as Brooke Coloma brought both runners home with a double into the left centerfield gap, to tie the game at eight. But a single to left field, scored the winning run to give the Quakers a 9-8 victory.

Ramirez was 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs and Kolodziej and Khalil each tallied two hits. In the circle, Evan Gray (Edmond, Okla.) got the loss as she went six innings with five hits and five earned runs.

Dartmouth's bats got going early in the nightcap as the Big Green scored seven runs on just five hits in the first inning of game two. Meghan Everett (Flemington, N.J.) and Kolodziej each reached on singles before Ramirez hit into fielders choice putting runners at second and third. Hillary Hubert (Grant Park, Ill.) singled to right field to load the bases before a Khalil double plated two. Barker followed that up with a second double, scoring one before a walk to McOmber loaded the bases. Alexandra St. Romain (Chatham, N.J.) capped the inning off perfectly with her first collegiate home run, plating three.

The Quakers got one of run back in the bottom half of the frame and then continued to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the second, plating one more.

In the third, the Big Green got a leadoff home run to start the inning, but the next three batters would be unable to get past relief pitcher Taylor Tieman. Penn chipped two more runs off the deficit in the bottom of the inning.

Tieman continued to hold the Dartmouth offense off the board in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Over that span, she retired the side in order in the fourth, and allowed just a single in both the fifth and sixth innings. However, the Dartmouth pitching was just as effective as Penn was also held off the board in those same innings.

In the seventh, Tieman continued to roll as she got two fly outs and a ground out sandwiched around a two-out single to give Penn another crack at its second comeback victory of the day.

A singled through the right side brought home the first run of the inning for the home team as the tying run came to the plate with no outs. With two runners on, Kristen Johnson quickly emptied the base paths and tied the score with her three-run blast to left field. Dartmouth went to the bullpen for the second straight game as Morgan Wharton (Binghamton, N.Y.) was able to get the outs needed to end the inning and send the game to extra frames, knotted at eight.

Tieman continued to fire away in the circle, retiring the Big Green in order in the top of the eighth. It didn't take Penn long to land the final blow of the game as a single to centerfield started things off before Brooke Coloma sailed a home run over the left field fence, to give the Quakers its second come-from-behind win of the day.

Khalil was stellar the plate with three hits on four at-bats with two runs scored and four RBIs. Six other Big Green players had one hit on the day. Barker took the loss in six innings with all eight runs given up being earned.

After splitting in the opening weekend of Ivy League play, Dartmouth will open up at home with a non-conference doubleheader agains Sacred Heart on Wednesday before hosting Princeton and Cornell on Friday and Saturday.