Darkness Suspends Second Game of Twinbill at Columbia

Saturday, April 22

New York, N.Y. / Robertson Field

11:30 AM

Dartmouth College

1-29, 0-13

Columbia

20-13, 9-4

Dartmouth

Columbia

Max Zajec was one of three players with three hits in game two

Photo by: Doug Austin

Darkness Suspends Second Game of Twinbill at Columbia

4/22/2023 7:36:00 PM | Baseball

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Dartmouth rallied in the ninth with five runs to tie the game at 11

By: Rick Bender

NEW YORK, N.Y. — After a rain and lightning delay at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium of just over an hour, Dartmouth rallied for five runs in the ninth to tie Columbia and turned a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom half to send the game into extra innings. But darkness forced the suspension of the contest until Sunday when the Big Green (1-29, 0-13 Ivy) will try to finish a twinbill split having lost the first game to the host Lions (20-13, 9-4 Ivy), 10-2.

Dartmouth faced an 11-6 deficit entering the top of the ninth in the nightcap against right-hander Justin Tucker, but the Lions' closer didn't have it on this day, loading the bases on a hit batter, single and walk with nobody out. Zackarie Casebonne brought home a run with a deep fly to left, and after another walk, Tucker was lifted for Sam Miller. But Kolton Freeman hit a hard smash off Miller's foot for an RBI single (one of three Big Green batters with three hits in the game) and Elliot Krewson lined a single to right to drive in his third run of the game, closing the gap to two.

Miller got the second out on a called third strike, but Max Zajec hit a hard grounder that appeared destined to get through the left side. Columbia third baseman Seth Dardar had other ideas, however, and made a terrific diving stop. But his throw to first from his knees was wild, allowing two runs to score to knot the game at 11.

Columbia threatened in the bottom of the ninth as the first batter hit a popup behind third that was dropped for a two-base error. Big Green head coach Bob Whalen elected to intentionally walk Cole Hage — who was 4-for-4 in the game — with one out, and another walk to Anton Lazits loaded the bases. Right-hander Shane Bauer wriggled out of the jam, however, but inducing a grounder to short, and Krewson stepped on second for the force and his throw to first easily beat the batter for an inning-ending double play. It was at this point the umpires decided it was too dark to continue and suspended the game until tomorrow.

Dartmouth held a 4-3 lead in entering the bottom of the seventh, but after starter Trystan Sarcone gave up a leadoff single on his 103rd pitch — matching a career high — he was relieved by another left-hander, Danny Will. The Lions proceeded to load the bases and Skye Selinsky delivered a two-run single to put Columbia ahead. Two batters later Griffin Palfrey blasted a three-run homer for an 8-4 Lions lead.

More offense accompanied the eighth inning as the Big Green got two runs back as Krewson and Peter O'Toole each hit RBI grounders after Robinson was hit by a pitch and Freeman doubled him to third. Columbia responded with three more runs on a sacrifice fly and a pair of RBI singles, setting up the wild top of the ninth.

Dartmouth had pounced on Columbia starter Joe Sheets in the first two frames to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. In the first, Jackson Hower cracked a two-out, RBI double off the tall fence in center. In the second, Freeman beat out an infield hit as Connor Bertsch sprinted home, and Robinson scored on a fielder's choice as did Freeman.

The Lions got two of those runs back in the bottom half of the second, however, when Lazits lofted a fly ball to left that just blew over the fence for a two-run blast, his fourth of the year. And in the fourth, Columbia closed to within one on a Hage RBI double.

The first game was never in much doubt as the Lions scored two runs in each of the first three innings. Lazits provided a two-run single in the first as the Columbia lineup worked Big Green starter Jack Metzger for 40 pitches in the frame.

The defense let Metzger down in the second as two errors contributed to two more runs crossing the plate, though Robinson helped limit the damage by throwing a runner out trying to score on a shallow fly ball to center.

The Lions added a two-run homer off the bat of Dardar in the third, and a solo shot courtesy of Griffin Palfrey keyed a three-run fourth, making it a 9-0 ball game.

After Columbia tacked on an unearned run against reliever Luke Carpenter in the sixth, Dartmouth tallied its two runs of the game in the seventh. James House doubled Milo Suarez to third with one down and Robinson lined a sharp RBI single back through the box before a wild pitch allowed House to scurry home.

Andy Leon (6-1) earned the victory with his seven innings of two-run ball, allowing six hits and a pair of walks while striking out four. Derek Yoo tossed two scoreless stanzas to close out the win for the Lions. Lazits powered the offense by going 4-for-4 with five RBIs.

Taking the loss for Dartmouth was Jack Metzger (0-6), who surrendered nine runs, seven earned, on 10 hits and two walks while fanning four over four innings, throwing 102 pitches in the process. Carpenter held Columbia to the one unearned run on just two hits in his four frames on the mound.

The two teams will play the third and final game approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended contest, which will begin at 12:15 p.m. The games will be streamed live on ESPN+ , and live stats will be available on DartmouthSports.com, the official website of Dartmouth Athletics.

Note: Dartmouth will be trying to snap its program-record 22-game losing streak when play resumes.