Softball Hosts Merrimack for Non-Conference Mid-Week Tilt

Wednesday, April 19

Hanover, N.H.

3:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Merrimack

Photo by: Doug Austin

Softball Hosts Merrimack for Non-Conference Mid-Week Tilt

4/18/2023 3:33:00 PM | Softball

ESPN+Int'l Stream Notes (PDF)

The Big Green look to build momentum prior to its Ivy League series against Yale this weekend

By: Francis Forte

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth softball team is set to host Merrimack in Hanover this Wednesday for a non-conference contest. The Big Green look to pick up a victory over the Warriors prior to a crucial Ivy League series this weekend against Yale.

LAST TIME OUT
The Big Green last took the field against Brown on the road. The weekend series was won by Dartmouth, as the Big Green swept a twin bill on Saturday, April 15. The Bears won the series finale on a walk-off sacrifice fly the following day.

Kate Farren was a force for the Big Green during the opening contest of the series. The senior recorded a pair of home runs and a trio of RBIs to lead Dartmouth to a 4-0 win over the Bears. Farren recorded three hits on four at-bats.

Rachel McCarroll pitched her second complete-game shutout of the season to kick off the weekend. She struck out five batters and allowed just one extra-base hit in a stellar performance.

Dartmouth's bats came alive in the back half of the twin-bill, as the Big Green defeated Brown in an offensive shootout, 13-9. Kelly Beaupre recorded a pair of three-run homers and seven RBIs to help her team to a sweep of the doubleheader.

Production at the plate came from a variety of players, as seven athletes combined for 12 hits. Farren picked up where she left off in game one, as she and Lauren Ben-Ezra recorded two-RBI triples.

KATE FARREN = PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kate Farren earned Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Monday, April 17, for her stellar performances against Brown.

Farren opened the road series with a bang, recording a pair of home runs and three RBIs in Dartmouth's 4-0 win. She registered three hits on four at-bats, fueling her team past the Bears to secure the series opener.

She concluded the weekend with a batting average of .600 and a slugging percentage of 1.500. Her performances against Brown propelled her to fifth in the Ivy League in slugging percentage (.737) and home runs (4) in conference play.

"We're very happy Kate is getting the recognition she deserves after a fantastic set of games at Brown," head coach Jen Williams said of Farren's accomplishment. "She was an offensive force in the league this weekend while playing excellent defense, and we're excited to see her continue to play hard with her teammates at Yale this weekend."

Farren is Dartmouth's second player this season to earn Player of the Week recognition from the Ivy League, as Alaana Panu was honored on March 27.

SCOUTING MERRIMACK
Merrimack enters Wednesday's non-conference tilt with a 13-21 record and a 9-6 mark in Northeast Conference play.

The Warriors last took the field at home against Wagner for a conference series. After dropping the first game of the weekend, Merrimack picked up wins in the final two games to win the series.

Merrimack holds a record of 1-5 against Ivy League opponents this season. The Warriors split a pair of games against Brown at the Plainsman Invitational in Auburn, Alabama in February. Cornell and Harvard both picked up a pair of wins against Merrimack.

With a .600 record in conference play, Merrimack sits in fourth place on the NEC standings, as of April 18.

Merrimack's offense is fueled by Ellen Hubbard, Courtney Lanpher and Madison Cerpa, who have combined for 54 of the Warriors' 101 RBIs this season. Hubbard holds a batting average of .444 with 44 hits on 99 at-bats. Cerpa leads the Warriors with 20 RBIs, while Lanpher has registered five home runs and a slugging percentage of .696.

HISTORY AGAINST THE WARRIORS
Dartmouth and Merrimack have faced off just twice prior to Wednesday's matchup.

The programs met on May 2, 1996 for a doubleheader in North Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack won both contests in dominant fashion by scores of 11-2 and 17-2.

The Big Green were slated to play Merrimack in a doubleheader last season in Hanover, which was canceled.

AROUND THE IVY LEAGUE
Many shifts in the Ivy League standings occurred as a result of last weekend's conference games. Dartmouth moved into a postseason slot with its series victory over Brown. Yale fell to fifth place in the conference, as the Bulldogs were swept by Harvard.

Harvard's sweep of Yale, combined with a loss from Princeton have created a tie for the top seed in the conference. The Crimson and Tigers will continue to jockey near the top of the Ancient Eight standings. Columbia sits in third place with an 8-7 record in conference competition.

All eight Ivy League teams are in action this weekend. Columbia will look to maintain its conference tournament position at home against Cornell, while Brown looks to emerge from its sixth-place spot in a series against Penn.

Dartmouth and Yale square off in a weekend series between the No. 4 and 5 teams in the conference with major postseason stakes on the line. Princeton will host Harvard in New Jersey in a battle for the top seed in the Ancient Eight.

FOLLOW ALONG
The Big Green's matchup with Merrimack is set for Wednesday, April 19. First pitch at the Dartmouth Softball Park is set for 3 p.m. Admission is free and a stream will be available on ESPN+ and Stretch Internet internationally.