Dartmouth Defeats UC Riverside for First Win of 2017

Saturday, March 25

Riverside, Calif.

2:30 PM

Dartmouth College

0-17-1

Pacific

17-17

Dartmouth

Pacific

Dartmouth Defeats UC Riverside for First Win of 2017

3/25/2017 7:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dartmouth

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Dartmouth softball team earned its first win of the 2017 season, defeating UC Riverside 5-2, after falling to Pacific in the second day of the UCLA-UC Riverside Tournament.

The Big Green are now 1-17-1 while the Tigers improve to 17-17 and the Highlanders drop to 16-9.

In game one against Pacific, Dartmouth sent Morgan Ebow to the circle, where she had to contend with a Tiger's squad that has been hitting the ball well as of late. The Big Green could not put any runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first, but Pacific made its first trip to the dish a successful one, scoring five.

After loading the bases early, Sydney Lahners singled to the shortstop which plated a pair. The next batter, Cassidy Gustafson also hit an infield single for the RBI. Another base hit later in the inning scored Lahners before Ralene Estrada was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Dartmouth tried to get back in the contest when Alyssa Jorgensen singled to the pitcher, advancing Tiffany Dyson to third. Unfortunately, the the Big Green could not bring Dyson home, as Morgan Martinelli fouled out to end the half inning.

Pacific broke the contest open in the bottom of the second with an impressive nine runs off eight hits. A pair of RBI singles expanded the Tigers' lead to 7-0. Taylor Covington's double to left-center plated two more runs, as Tessa Grossman came into pitch in relief of Ebow. After Covington scored on a wild pitch, Pacific's advantaged increased to 12-0 off Molly Bourne's two-RBI single through the left field side. Later in the inning, the Tigers' tacked on two more runs when Faith Apolskis singled down the left field line.

A scoreless third gave way to the fourth where the Dartmouth bats began to wake up. With one out, Chloe Madill was hit by a pitch before Dyson ripped a triple to right field for the RBI. After a ground out by Jorgensen, the Big Green got their second run when Martinelli singled up the middle, scoring Dyson.

In the fifth, Dartmouth added three more runs with just one swing of the bat when Madill hit a three-run homer to center field for her team-leading third long ball of the season. Unfortunately, this would be as close as the Big Green would get as the game ended in the fifth via the run rule.

In game two against UC Riverside, Dartmouth sent Breanna Ethridge to the circle after her seven inning performance the day before. Ethridge got into a little trouble in the bottom of the first when Sarah Parten doubled to left field with two outs and a runner on first, but the Loganville, Georgia native was able to get Hannah Rodriguez to foul out on three pitches to end the inning.

The Big Green were able to break the stalemate in the top of the third when Jorgensen led off with a triple to right-center and scored off Calista Almer's sacrifice bunt. The Highlander's responded in the bottom of the fourth when Jenna Curtan hit an RBI single to left field, tying the game at one run apiece.

UC Riverside took its first lead of the afternoon when Stephanie Tickemyer hit a leadoff, solo home run to left field, but Dartmouth was able to get off the field without allowing any more damage. In the sixth, the Big Green knotted up the contest again when Jorgensen singled up the middle which scored Madill.

Dartmouth carried this momentum into the top of the seventh when Damore and Taylor Ward both singled to the left side. Karen Chaw drove in the game-winning run with a single to left field, scoring Damore. Madill continued her strong showing at the dish by hitting a double to right-center and plating a pair of runs to give the Big Green the late 5-2 lead.

Ethridge returned to the circle to pitch the bottom of the seventh, where she surrendered just one hit to earn her first victory of the 2017 season.

Dartmouth returns to action tomorrow to wrap up its west coast swing with No. 15 UCLA at 1 p.m.