Late Comeback Falls a Run Short in 8-7 Loss

Wednesday, May 1

Hanover, N.H.

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

14-24

Maine

11-26

Maine

Dartmouth

Junior Trevor Johnson

Photo by: Gil Talbot

5/1/2019 6:07:00 PM | Baseball

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A four-run eighth was not quite enough to defeat Maine

By: Rick Bender

HANOVER, N.H. — Junior Trevor Johnson hit a three-run triple in the eighth to bring Dartmouth within a run of Maine, but the Big Green could not complete the comeback as the Black Bears (11-26) held on for an 8-7 victory on a gray Wednesday afternoon at Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park.

Trailing 8-2 after four innings, Dartmouth (14-24) chipped away at its six-run deficit with an unearned run in the sixth. Two innings later, senior Steffen Torgersen drew a leadoff walk, but was still at second with two gone when sophomore Ubaldo Lopez hit a routine grounder to short that appeared to end the inning.

Lopez was awarded first, however, due to catcher's interference, and the Big Green capitalized on the second chance with junior Blake Crossing dropping an RBI single into left-center before freshman Ben Rice walked to load the bases. Johnson fell behind in the count with two quick strikes, but he lined the next pitch to right-center that scooted on the wet turf all the way to the fence, allowing all three runners to score as he cruised into third with his bases-clearing triple.

Maine then summoned its sixth pitcher of the afternoon from the bullpen in Jacob Small, who left Johnson stranded at third thanks to a grounder to first.

Trevor DeLaite took the mound in the ninth in search of his fourth save and got two quick outs before senior Matt Feinstein hit a triple to essentially the same spot Johnson did. With the tying run at third, DeLaite dropped a 3-2 curveball over for strike three to end the game.

Maine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Danny Casals hit his sixth home run of the season onto Park Street beyond the left-field fence. That lead grew to 6-0 in the third with four more runs, the last two coming on a Ryan Turenne long ball, his second of the year.

In the bottom half of the third, the Big Green put the first two batters on via walks, one of whom scored on a passed ball and the other trotting home on senior Nate Ostmo's hard single up the middle past the shortstop to make it a 6-2 game.

But Hernen Sardinas doubled home one run the following inning for the Black Bears and Joe Bramanti brought him home with a single back through the box, building the lead back up to six runs at 8-2.

Cody Lawyerson (4-3) picked up the victory with a scheduled short start in which he retired the side in order in the first. Turenne led the 11-hit Maine attack by going 3-for-4 with his two-run homer, Casals added two hits and two RBIs with his four-bagger, and Bramanti drove in two more.

Suffering the loss was junior Alec Vaules (2-3), who surrendered six runs, five earned, on six hits in his three-inning start. After the Black Bears scored two more in the fourth, the Big Green bullpen kept Maine off the scoreboard for the final five frames.

Crossing and Feinstein each had two hits with the former driving in two runs.

Dartmouth (7-11 Ivy) will host Cornell (11-22, 6-12 Ivy) in the final weekend of the season for the Big Green. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 11:30 a.m., and the first pitch of Sunday's finale will be at noon. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+, while the finale will also be televised on NESNplus with Wayne Young '72 and Bob Lipman calling the action.

Notes: Head coach Bob Whalen was denied his 600th career victory in 30 years at Dartmouth by his alma mater, Maine … Torgersen went 0-for-4, ending his career-long 12-game hitting streak ... the game was delayed for 16 minutes in the top of the first after home plate umpire Dave Simon was hit on the head by a wild pitch that glanced off the catcher's glove. McKinney took over behind the plate and Simon did not return to the field.