Dartmouth Wins Two Games Off Solid Offensive Performance

Saturday, March 19

Santa Clara, Calif.

8:00 PM

Dartmouth College

4-8

Iona

5-8

Iona

Dartmouth

Dartmouth Wins Two Games Off Solid Offensive Performance

3/20/2016 12:57:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In its best offensive performance of the season thus far, the Dartmouth softball team defeated Iona 6-3 before taking down Santa Clara 11-5, in five innings on Saturday night.

The Big Green are now 5-8, while the Gaels fall to 5-8 and the Broncos drop to 5-23.

In Game 1, freshman Lauren Stone got the start for Dartmouth, as the Eureka, California native pitched six innings to earn her first win of the season. Stone (1-2) surrendered eight hits, two walks and struck out one for her first collegiate win wearing the Green and White.

The Big Green supplied Stone run support from the beginning when senior Katie McEachern registered a lead off walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Junior Maddie Damore continued her solid weekend with a two-out RBI single to left field to give Dartmouth an early 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Big Green added to their lead when sophomore Tiffany Dyson singled to left with two runners on base, scoring freshman Kassidy Williams. With one out, McEachern hit another single to left, plating two more runs for Dartmouth, giving the Big Green a 4-0 lead.

Dartmouth kept the pressure on Iona in the third after Alana Evans walked three consecutive batters and Damore scored on a Chloe Madill sacrifice fly. With two outs in the inning, Dyson ripped a base hit up the middle scoring Williams as senior Kelsey Miller was thrown out a home to end the inning. Dyson finished the ball game going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

After three scoreless innings, the Gaels tried to rally in the seventh. Allyne Clark led the inning off with a double to left-center for Iona and scored after an Ashlyn Morris single. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Breanna Ethridge came into pitch for Stone.

With one out, Kristen Turner hit a double down the left field line scoring two more runs to cut the Big Green's lead to 6-3. Ethridge stepped up when her team needed her to get the next two batters to strike out swinging to earn her second save of the year.

Game two pitted Dartmouth against the host school, Santa Clara. Senior Morgan McCalmon got the start for the Big Green, finishing the night with five strike outs and surrendering just one hit to improve to 4-3 on the season.

Once again, Dartmouth provided the run support to its starting pitcher, this time in a big way. McEachern hit a lead off triple to begin the game and scored off freshman Morgan Martinelli's sacrifice fly. With two outs, Damore doubled to left-center to keep the inning alive. Later on, Damore crossed home when Madill reached on an error.

The Big Green did not let up when Karen Chaw hit a single through the left side to load the bases. Santa Clara pitcher, Kimberly Goulart walked Claire Bird, plating a third run for Dartmouth to give the visitors a quick 3-0 lead. Goulart earned the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season.

In the second, the Big Green chased Goulart from the game after McEachern singled to center field and scored on a Martinelli double, as Dartmouth took a commanding 5-0 lead. The Big Green added four more runs in the third inning off RBI single's from Martinelli and Williams and a walk by Damore with the bases loaded. Madill flew out to center on a sacrifice fly, giving Dartmouth a 9-0 lead.

With two outs in the third, the Broncos broke up McCalmon's bid for the no-hitter when Amanda Delfino hit an RBI single up the middle for Santa Clara's lone run of the evening. A scoreless fourth inning gave way to the fifth, when the Big Green added two more runs when Madill doubled to left center scoring Damore and Martinelli.

The game was eventually called in the fifth due to the run rule in what was the Big Green's best offensive performance of 2016. Martinelli continued her fantastic rookie season going 3-for-3 with four RBIs, while McEachern finished the the night 3-for-4.

Dartmouth returns to the diamond tomorrow at 2 p.m. to take on CSU Bakersfield in the final game of the tournament.

Notes: Although the Big Green will not play Iona again in this tournament, Dartmouth will take on the Gaels again this season on March 25 in Davis, California.