McEachern's Grand Slam Lifts Dartmouth Over South Alabama

Saturday, February 27

Mobile, Alabama

11:00 AM

Dartmouth College

0-3

Bowling Green

5-6

Bowling Green

Dartmouth

McEachern's Grand Slam Lifts Dartmouth Over South Alabama

2/27/2016 11:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

MOBILE, Ala. – The Dartmouth softball team recorded its first win of the season by defeating previously ranked South Alabama, 12-7 after falling to Bowling Green 6-1.

After Saturday's games the Big Green are 1-3, the Falcons are 5-7 and the Jaguars are 7-6.

Dartmouth had its best offensive performance of the weekend thus far against South Alabama when the Big Green bats exploded for 12 runs. In that contest, senior Katie McEachern went 3 for 4 with four RBI's and a grand slam, while senior Kathy Dzienkowski went 2 for 2 with three RBI's.

"This was a great win for us as a team,” head coach Shannon Doepking said. “It was a totally team effort to get this W. I'm really proud of the way Morgan McCalmon competed today, she did a great job holding us in this one. Offensive it was nice to see our bats come alive and get a glimpse at what kind of team we are. Our seniors really stepped up and led this team tonight"

In game one of the Saturday double header, Dartmouth squared off with Bowling Green. Sophomore Breanna Ethridge got the start in the circle for the Big Green.

In the first inning Bowling Green stranded two runners on base to lead off the game. It was a pitchers duel for the majority of the contest as the Falcons went down in order in the top of the fourth.

In the bottom half of the fourth, junior Karen Chaw singled to left field to lead off the inning for Dartmouth, but the Big Green couldn't bring her home. Ethridge kept Bowling Green hitless until the fifth inning when the Falcons broke the game open scoring six runs.

Dartmouth tried to spark a rally as McEachern hit her second home run of the weekend, this time a solo shot to left field. She finished the game with two hits in three plate appearances. The Big Green would only tack on one run in the inning, as Bowling Green added one more insurance run in the top of the seventh for the 6-1 victory.

"I thought our pitchers threw well,” Doepking said. “Our bats were slow to get going and it's hard to win when you don't score runs. A lot to learn from these games which will help us to be a better team"

Game two, pitted Dartmouth against the host school, South Alabama. The Jaguars struck first when a Kaleigh Todd triple scored Emily Messer giving South Alabama an early 1-0 lead.

The Big Green answered when senior Kelsey Miller hit a triple of her own to right center. She scored on a Brianna Lohmann single to tie the game, 1-1. The Jaguars tacked on another run in the third when Stephanie Pilkington doubled and scored on a Haleigh Lane base hit.

Dartmouth responded in a big way with its best inning of the young season. After three lead off singles, Dzienkowski walked which scored Chaw. With the bases loaded, McEachern homered to left field which scored four more runs and gave the Big Green a 6-2 lead.

South Alabama scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to pull within two of the lead. Dartmouth protected its lead by scoring four more runs in the fifth when freshman Morgan Martinelli doubled to lead off the inning and scored after a Miller single.

Dzienkowski doubled which scored two more runs for the Big Green and gave them a commanding 10-4 lead. The Jaguars tried to rally in the fifth but only managed to plate two runs. With the score 10-6 in favor of Dartmouth, the Big Green added two insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings enroute to the 12-7 win.

Senior Morgan McCalmon pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts and just three earned runs.

Dartmouth returns to the diamond for the final game of the South Alabama Invitational when the Big Green take on the host school again tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.