Big Green Open Season with a Pair of Losses

Saturday, February 27

Punta Gorda, Fla.

11:00 AM

Dartmouth College

0-1

Iowa

1-4

Iowa

Dartmouth

2/27/2016 6:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — The Dartmouth baseball team opened the 2016 season on Saturday at the Snowbird Classic by taking on Iowa and Villanova. The Hawkeyes (1-4) picked up their first win of the year by handing the Big Green a 4-1 defeat before Villanova (1-4) did the same with a 14-1 triumph over Dartmouth (0-2).

In the first game, Iowa roughed up the reigning Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, senior right-hander Duncan Robinson (0-1), for three runs in the top of the first. Robinson plunked leadoff hitter Joel Booker to start the game, who then stole second with one out and scored on a single between short and third off the bat of Nick Roscetti. Each of the next three Hawkeyes also singled with Austin Guzzo and Jimmy Frankos picking up RBIs. Robinson righted the ship, however, inducing a grounder to second and getting the final out on strikes, then allowed just one more base runner (on a fielding error) in his four innings on the mound.

Iowa right-hander C.J. Eldred, son of former major leaguer Cal Eldred, pitched well in his collegiate starting debut. He was able to wriggle out of a two-out, two-on jam in the first, but did surrender consecutive singles to junior Ben Socher, senior Nick Ruppert and senior co-captain Thomas Roulis in the third to plate what turned out to be the lone Big Green run. The next two hitters struck out, however, limiting the damage.

The Hawkeyes got that run back in the fifth against junior reliever Chris Burkholder when a two-out error allowed a Roscetti to score from second base. Burkholder clamped down for the next four frames to finish out the game yielding just the one unearned run on three hits and three walks while punching out a career-high five batters.

Eldred (1-0) pitched through the fifth, allowing the one run on four hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts. He was replaced by left-hander Nick Allgeyer, who was surrendered only a seventh-inning, two-out double by freshman Steffen Torgersen as he threw four shutout innings with four strikeouts for his first save.

In the second game, Villanova matched Iowa by putting three on the board in the top of the first, the big blow being a two-run homer to right-center by Todd Czinege, his second of the season.

After the Wildcats scored a solitary run in the third on a double-play grounder with the bases loaded, Dartmouth answered back in the bottom half. Freshman Matt Feinstein, who went 4-for-4 in his collegiate debut, reached on an infield single and took second on a single by Socher. A fly ball sent Feinstein to third, and Roulis drove him home with a fielder's choice to first.

Villanova chased Big Green starter Jackson Bubala (0-1) in the fourth as the first two hitters reached base. David Gulati greeted reliever Jack Fossand with a bunt single to load the bases, and Donovan May singled home a run before Eric Lowe plated two with another knock. A pair of walks forced in another run, then Kevin Jewitt collected two RBIs with a double to the gap in right-center. A sacrifice fly brought home the seventh run of the stanza, and Fossand got the final two outs on strikes with the Wildcats leading, 11-1.

Villanova tacked on a run in the fifth and two more in the ninth to complete the scoring.

Ryan Doty (1-1) earned the victory for the Wildcats, hurling six innings of one-run ball while surrendering six hits and a walk to go with six strikeouts. Three relievers each pitched a scoreless frame, yielding one hit apiece, to finish the Wildcat win.

Socher went 2-for-2 against Villanova, and Roulis drove in the Big Green run in each game. Senior Adam Charnin-Aker helped stem the tide against the Wildcats with two innings of one-run relief, while freshman right-hander Cole O'Connor made his debut on the mound, hurling the final three frames while fanning five.

Lowe and Gulati each had three hits to contribute to the 16-hit Villanova attack, while five of the top six hitters in the lineup all drove in two runs apiece.

Dartmouth wraps up its weekend at the Snowbird Classic against Indiana State (4-2) on Sunday at noon.