Big Green Drop First Two Games of Mardi Gras Classic

Friday, February 24

Lafayette, La.

10:00 AM

Dartmouth College

0-1

Drake

9-5

Dartmouth

Drake

Big Green Drop First Two Games of Mardi Gras Classic

2/24/2017 9:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Dartmouth softball team dropped its first two games of the 2017 campaign on the opening day of the Mardi Gras Classic on Friday. The Big Green fell to Drake, 3-2 in 10 innings before losing to No. 16 Louisiana Lafayette, 12-5.

Dartmouth opens the season at 0-2 overall while the Bulldogs improve to 9-5 and the Ragin Cajuns improve to 9-3.

In the first game of 2017, the Green sent its most experienced pitcher, junior Breanna Ethridge to the circle where she pitched a solid eight innings, allowing just two runs with seven strikeouts.

Drake struck first in the bottom of the first when Kelsey Wright scored on a sacrifice fly, giving the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead. The Big Green would get that run back in the top of the third when junior Lourlin Lara led off the inning with a single and scored on a Karen Chaw single to left center.

After the third, the contest became a pitcher's duel as neither hurler surrendered a hit through the next three innings. In the top of the seventh, Lara singled through the right side and stole second to move the go-ahead run into scoring position. Dartmouth took the lead when freshman Calista Almer laid down a bunt, that advanced Lara to third and then home after Drake's catcher threw the ball away.

The Bulldogs responded in the bottom half of the inning, when Abby Buie came on to pinch run for Kaitlyn Finneran who singled to the shortstop. Buie used her speed to steal second and advance to third on a passed ball. She eventually crossed home on Aryka Knoche's sacrifice fly, tying it up at two runs a piece.

Freshman Tessa Grossman made her debut with the the Big Green as she came in to pitch the ninth inning. The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10^th inning when Taryn Pena led off with a double to left center. With one out, Wright added a double which advanced Taryn to third. After Tasha Alexander popped out to center, Megan Sowa hit a single to left center, plating Taryn for the Bulldogs' dramatic walk off win.

Game two of the day pitted Dartmouth against the host school of the Mardi Gras Classic, Louisiana-Lafayette. Ethridge once again went to the circle for the Big Green.

After a scoreless first the Ragin Cajuns got on the board via a pair of sacrifice fly's, taking an early 2-0 lead. Grossman came into pitch the third in relief and walked to the first two batters she faced. Hayley Hayden added to Louisiana's lead when she homered to left field, collecting three RBIs on her second long-ball of the season. The Ragin Cajuns tacked on one more run before the end of the inning but Dartmouth was able to respond in its turn at the dish.

Claire Bird led off with a single and scored on Alyssa Jorgensen's single to third. In the top of the fourth, Morgan Ebow made her debut by coming into pitch in relief of Grossman. After getting the first batter she faced to ground out, Ebow walked Hayden, who advanced to second on a single. Hayden was eventually plated on a single to second, extending Louisiana's lead to, 7-1.

Over the next two innings, the Big Green tested the top 25 team by scoring four runs and cutting the lead to 7-6. In the bottom of the fourth Chloe Madill hit the first Dartmouth homer of the season, which was a two-run home run to center field and in the fifth, Chaw smacked a two RBI double to to left center.

A scoreless sixth inning gave way to the seventh when the Ragin Cajun bats exploded for five runs to thwart any attempt of a Big Green upset.

Dartmouth returns to action tomorrow for games against Bradley and Mississippi Valley State in the second day of the Mardi Gras Classic.