Dartmouth Splits Home Opening Doubleheader With Penn

Friday, March 29

Hanover, N.H.

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

4-17, 0

Penn

11-11, 0

PENN

Dartmouth

Sophomore Schae Nelson

Photo by: Doug Austin

Dartmouth Splits Home Opening Doubleheader With Penn

3/29/2019 7:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box (PDF)Game 2 Box (PDF)

The Big Green hit four home runs on the day

By: Mike Miezejeski

HANOVER, N.H. – Playing on its home turf for the first time in 2019, the Dartmouth softball team came away with a split against Penn on Friday afternoon. The Big Green (4-18, 1-4 Ivy) took game one, 8-5, using the long ball to their advantage, while the Quakers (12-11, 4-4 Ivy) secured game two, 6-3.

Game One:
Dartmouth powered its way to an early 4-0 lead with three home runs in the first three innings and never looked back as the Big Green went on to defeat Penn, 8-5, in game one.

Morgan Martinelli finished 2-4 at the plate with a home run and four RBI. Taylor Ward and Micah Schroder also hit home runs in the contest and each collected two hits. Tessa Grossman and McKenna Gray were able to hit safely twice as well. Dartmouth racked off 10 hits for the game.

Shelby Wilkison earned her second win in the circle. The sophomore went 4.1 innings and allowed only one earned run on five hits while striking out four batters. Madie Augusto picked up the save throwing the final 1.2 innings where she struck out three and did not give up a run.

The Big Green showed off the big bats early. In the first inning with Ward on base, Martinelli launched her first home run of the season into the snow bank beyond the left center field fence to put Dartmouth ahead, 2-0.

Dartmouth was not done showing off the power. With one out in the third, Ward and Schroder went back-to-back to put the Big Green ahead, 4-0. It was the second long ball of the season for both hitters.

Penn finally got on the board in the fourth when the Quakers plated two runs on a Dartmouth error. But the Big Green responded with four more runs in the home half of the inning on a bases loaded walk, a wild pitch and a two RBI infield single by Martinelli to extend the lead to 8-2.

The Quakers made a comeback attempt by scoring one run in the fifth when they took advantage of a wild pitch. Two more scored for Penn in the sixth on an RBI single, but Augusto shut the door and secured the victory.

Game Two:
The second game of the day belonged to the Quakers who took it by a score of 6-3. Schae Nelson was 2-3 at the plate with a home run, while Taylor Ward doubled home a run.

After the first two innings went scoreless, Penn made a statement when Sarah Cwiertnia hit a deep shot over the fence in left center for a three-run home run to put the Quakers ahead 3-0 after three.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth. Calista Almer drew a two-out walk and stole second to get into scoring position. Taylor Ward took advantage and doubled down the right field line to score Almer and make it a 3-1 ballgame.

Penn answered with another home run, this time a solo shot off the bat of Emma Nedley. The Quakers then hit consecutive singles after the long ball and Sarah Ketring brought in both runners with a double to make it a 6-1 lead.

Schroder and Martinelli each walked to put two runners on base for Nelson in the sixth. The sophomore crushed her second home run of the season to cut the deficit in half, bringing the score to 6-3.

That was all Dartmouth could muster up in the second game as it went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh.

The Big Green are back on action on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. for the final game of the series against Penn.