Big Green Triple Their Pleasure in 6-4 Win Over Bucknell

Wednesday, March 16

Winter Haven, Fla.

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

6-9

Bucknell

1-6

Dartmouth

Bucknell

Big Green Triple Their Pleasure in 6-4 Win Over Bucknell

3/16/2016 8:44:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Dartmouth scored twice in both the eighth and ninth innings to rally for a 6-4 victory over Bucknell on Wednesday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park in the Big Green's first game at the Russ Matt Invitational. Sophomore Dustin Shirley drove in the winning runs in the ninth with his second triple of the game as Dartmouth (1-6) picked up its first victory of the young season and handed the Bison (6-9) a loss for the fifth time in their last six games

Shirley, who tied the school record for triples in a game, wasn't the only Big Green batter tripling his pleasure as both senior Thomas Roulis and freshman Rob Emery each hit three-baggers as well, giving Dartmouth four in a game to tie the school record last attained five years ago. Shirley and sophomore Kyle Holbrook each had two hits among the eight collected by the Big Green, while Shirley and Emery had two RBIs apiece..

After Bucknell took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single off the bat of Brett Smith, senior Adam Gauthier started the top of the eighth by getting hit by a pitch. A bunt by Shirley advanced Gauthier to second, but a fly to left gave the Green just one more out to work with in the frame. Roulis made the most of it by lacing his triple to right-center, knotting the score at three, and Emery followed with his own three-bagger for a 4-3 lead. Bucknell summoned Christian Tailor to get the final out, which he did on a called third strike.

The Bison even the score in their half of the eighth, however, on a single, walk and a pair of passed balls.

In the ninth, Holbrook stroked a 1-2 pitch to left for a leadoff single off Tailor (1-1), then took second on a sacrifice bunt. A fielding error put runners on the corners and proved costly when Shirley strode to the plate with two gone. He wasted no time in ripping the first pitch from Tailor over the right fielder's head for a two-run triple.

Senior Beau Sulser (1-0), who took the mound out of the bullpen to start the seventh, quickly retired the side in order to preserve his first victory since April 27, 2014. The right-hander finished the afternoon having surrendered two runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk in three innings while striking out two.

Dartmouth took a quick 1-0 lead in the first when Emery lofted a fly ball to center to score Shirley, who led off the game with a triple into the right-field corner. Bucknell responded with a run of its own in the bottom half as Smith also hit a leadoff triple, then trotted home on a Danny Rafferty single to right.

The two teams traded runs in the fourth as well, though Dartmouth's was unearned. Junior Michael Ketchmark reached base with one out on a booted ground ball, moved up to second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out single to left courtesy of senior Nick Ruppert. The Bison scored thanks to a hit batter, single, wild pitch and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jared Drizin.

Neither starter got a decision despite solid six-inning outings of two-run ball. Big Green sophomore Patrick Peterson gave up five hits and two walks while plunking a pair of Bison, but also struck out three in just his second career start. For Bucknell, rookie southpaw Jack Grabek made his first collegiate start and yielded one earned run on just three hits and two walks while fanning four.

Dartmouth will play again on Thursday, this time against Bradley (8-6), which has won all four games in Florida on its spring break trip. First pitch will be thrown at Lake Myrtle Park at 4:30 p.m.

Notes: Dartmouth started last season 0-6 before winning its first game, also against Bucknell ... Ruppert started the 100th game of his career.