Softball Clinches Ivy North Title and Will Host Championship

Saturday, April 25

Hanover, N.H.

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

22-14, 0

Harvard

21-20, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Harvard	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	3
Dartmouth	1	0	0	0	0	0	X	1	4	1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Harvard	0	0	0	1	0	0	6	7	11	1
Dartmouth	4	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	10	1

Softball Clinches Ivy North Title and Will Host Championship

4/25/2015 6:56:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth softball needed one win to clinch its third straight Ivy League North Division title and took care of business in the opener against Harvard, defeating the Crimson 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Dartmouth Softball Park.

In the nightcap, Harvard (21-20, 12-6 Ivy) scored six runs in the top of the seventh and held off a late rally for a 7-6 victory.

Dartmouth (22-15, 15-3 Ivy) got a very solid performance from senior Kristen Rumley (14-10), who tossed a complete game four-hitter in the opener and also fanned four batters. Sophomore Karen Chaw was responsible for the lone run of the game, which came early in the first with a single to left field that scored leadoff hitter junior Katie McEachern.

After the run, Rumley and Harvard starter Laura Ricciardone settled in and delighted the crowd with a real pitchers' duel. Ricciardone's stat line looked nearly the same as Rumley, as she also struck out four hitters.

Harvard threatened in the second but left two runners on base after a comebacker at Rumley got a runner out at third followed by a strikeout to end the inning.

In the Big Green third, McEachern singled to left center and advanced to third but a ground out by Chaw ended Dartmouth's chance to add an insurance run.

In the second game, Dartmouth took a comfortable 4-0 lead in the first thanks to a three-run homer by junior Morgan McCalmon and a RBI single by freshman Tiffany Dyson.

McCalmon helped her cause once again in the second with a RBI single to center field to give the hosts a five-run edge.

Harvard cut its deficit to four with a solo home run by Giana Panariello in the fourth.

The Crimson took a 7-5 lead with six runs in the seventh off sophomore relief pitcher Ashley Sissel (0-3).

McCalmon cruised through the fourth inning and allowed one run on four hits before making way to Sissel, who looked relaxed in her first two innings.

Trailing by two, Dartmouth led off with a single to right by McCalmon and then had two runners on when McEachern pinch-hit and was hit in the head.

With no outs, the Big Green scored a run on a RBI single to center by Chaw. Having entered the game in a save situation, Ricciardone got the next three batters out to preserve the win.

Harvard starter Taylor Cabe got a no-decision after she started the contest and pitched two innings. Morgan Groom (5-3) took the win for the Crimson after she allowed one run on three hits but struck out six Big Green hitters over the next four frames.

Haley Davis led the Crimson with three RBIs in the nightcap after she belted a homer off Sissel in the seventh.

After the game, Dartmouth head coach Shannon Doepking honored her two seniors Megan Averitt and Kristen Rumley with a Senior Day presentation.

Dartmouth and Harvard will conclude the home-and-home series on Sunday in Cambridge, Massachusetts at 2 p.m.

The win also guarantees that the Big Green will host the Ivy League Championship Series for the second consecutive season against either Penn or Princeton from the South. Both the Quakers and Tigers split doubleheaders on Saturday. A pair of Princeton losses and/or sweep by Penn over Columbia will pit the Big Green and Quakers for the third straight season in the championship round.

The Ivy Championship Series (best-of-three) is slated to be played at the Dartmouth Softball Park next weekend (May 2-3) with a doubleheader on Saturday and the if necessary game three on Sunday.