Robinson Twirls Four-Hit Shutout in 1-0 Victory

Saturday, March 26

Tampa, Fla.

6:30 PM

Dartmouth College

5-12

USF

13-11

Dartmouth

USF

Robinson Twirls Four-Hit Shutout in 1-0 Victory

3/26/2016 8:44:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

TAMPA, Fla. — Senior right-hander Duncan Robinson twirled a four-hit shutout for his second-straight complete game as Dartmouth (5-12) edged host USF (13-11) on Saturday night at USF Baseball Stadium by a final of 1-0. The game's only run came home in the sixth on senior Joe Purritano's two-out, RBI single as the Big Green snapped a three-game skid.

Robinson (2-2) faced three batters over the minimum to record his second career shutout, throwing 103 pitches with 71 for strikes as he fanned eight batters without issuing a walk. Only five Bulls reached base on four singles and a hit batter, and just two made it as far as second base. Five times Robinson retired the side in order, and not once did USF have two runners on base at the same time.

Bull right-hander Brandon Lawson (3-1) matched zeroes with Robinson over the first five innings, surrendering just a single and a walk in that span. But after retiring 12 straight hitters, the clipped junior Ben Socher with an 0-1 pitch with two outs in the sixth. Socher proceeded to swipe second, then scooted home when Purritano dropped a single into right-center for the 1-0 lead.

In the bottom half, Robinson got the first out swinging third strike — his fifth whiff in the last six batters — retiring his 13th-straight hitter. But like Lawson, he hit a batter with pitch, who like Socher promptly stole second base. Unlike Lawson, however, Robinson pumped full-count strikes past the next two hitters to strand the tying run in scoring position.

Dartmouth put another running into scoring position in the seventh when freshman Rob Emery stroked a two-out double. He was also stranded, though, as Lawson got the third out on strikes for his 104th and final pitch of the evening.

Robinson surrendered a pair of singles in Bull half of the seventh, yet still managed to throw just four pitches in the stanza. Duke Stunkel led off with a base hit, but was erased on a double play on the very next pitch. One pitch later, Luke Borders reached on an infield hit. The throw to first base squirted away in the attempt to get him out, but junior Michael Ketchmark quickly retrieved the ball and fired to second to gun down Borders, ending the inning.

In the ninth, Dartmouth nearly tacked on an insurance run thanks to a throwing error. Sophomore Dustin Shirley walked with two down, and a pickoff throw from the catcher during the next at-bat sailed down the right-field line. Shirley put it in high gear around the bases, but was nailed at the plate on a perfect relay throw from shortstop Coco Montes.

Meanwhile, Robinson cruised through the bottom third of the USF lineup in the eighth on four pitches, then set down the top three hitters in the lineup in order in the ninth on eight pitches thanks to a strikeout and a pair of routine ground balls.

Both teams managed to collect just four hits, and Socher and Emery were the only players on either side to reach base twice as both drew a walk while Emery doubled and Socher was hit by a pitch

Lawson finished the game with nine strikeouts in his seven innings on the mound, yielding the one run on three hits and a walk. Andrew Perez tossed the final two frames and worked around a hit and two walks to go with a pair of punchouts.

Dartmouth and USF will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at noon.

Notes: The Big Green are 8-9 in 1-0 games under head coach Bob Whalen, who is in his 27th season … the last 1-0 win came on April 7, 2013 against Cornell in Hanover … the only 1-0 game since then was a 10-inning loss last year — against Cornell in Hanover … Robinson has not walked a batter in his last 19 innings of work while allowing 11 hits and striking out 20. He has issued just two free passes this season to go with 29 whiffs.