Pair of Walk-Offs Seal Doubleheader Sweep for Big Green

Saturday, April 20

Hanover, N.H.

12:30 PM

Dartmouth College

10-15, 0

Cornell

6-22, 0

Cornell

Dartmouth

Photo by: Ryan Yong

Pair of Walk-Offs Seal Doubleheader Sweep for Big Green

4/20/2024 7:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Leila Hennessy capped Game 1 with a walk-off double before Allie Ohde won Game 2 with a solo homer

By: Kyle Relf

HANOVER, N.H. — A couple walk-off wins gave the fans at the Dartmouth Softball Park plenty to cheer about on Saturday afternoon as the Big Green took both ends of the doubleheader from Cornell, winning Game 1 by a score of 5-4 and Game 2 by a final tally of 8-7.

Kelly Beaupre's two-run, game-tying home run in the seventh set the stage for Leila Hennessy's walk-off RBI double in the exciting opener before Allie Ohde cranked a solo shot over the left field fence to walk off the nightcap.

"I was so excited, a walk-off is the best feeling in the world," said Ohde, after hitting her second career home run (and first at the Dartmouth Softball Park). "I've never sprinted harder in my entire life. That was the fastest home-to-home ever."

GAME 1 • Dartmouth 5, Cornell 4
The Big Green needed just two batters to score their first two runs of the ballgame as Mary Beth Cahalan led off with a double and Alaana Panu followed with a two-run homer, her first of three hits in the contest. The Big Red tied it up, 2-2, in the third and that tally would hold until the sixth, when Cornell plated two more, taking a 4-2 lead into the final inning.

That was before the Big Green, who hadn't scored since Panu's first-inning blast, came alive to the tune of a three-run, game-winning rally. With one down in the seventh, Panu legged out a grounder to third to bring the tying run to the plate. Beaupre smacked a no-doubter into the trees in left field, tying the game at 4-4. Olivia Schramm reached base next and was brought home by Leila Hennessy's RBI double.

Rachel McCarroll went the distance and earned the victory, allowing seven hits while striking out six to match her season high. Justice Malone was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate and Hennessy was another Big Green batter with multiple hits, having gone 2-for-4. Ella Harrod and Sydney Stapf both notched two hits for Cornell, and Hailey Pirkey came away with a pair of RBIs via her two-run homer in the sixth.

GAME 2 • Dartmouth 8, Cornell 7
The Big Green, who enjoyed a six-run second inning that included a grand slam by Beaupre – her second home run of the afternoon – led 7-1 as late as the top of the fifth before seeing that lead disappear by the seventh. For the Big Green to win, it would take more walk-off heroics and Ohde answered the call, sending a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence as the first batter of the seventh.

.@AllieOhde CALLED GAME! #TheWoods🌲| #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/AHHsjBEjay
— Dartmouth Softball (@DartmouthSball) April 20, 2024

Rachel McCarroll earned her second win of the day, having entered in relief of Jensin Hall, who made her first appearance in the circle in exactly two weeks. Hall allowed one run on two hits while striking out five in four innings of work during her return.

The Big Green offense rode the momentum of the Game 1 walk-off with eight total hits, including three from Cahalan (3-for-3) in the leadoff spot. Beaupre collected a season-best four RBIs thanks to her second-inning grand slam.

Cornell plated three in the fifth and another three in the seventh, while the Big Green mustered only one run after a hot offensive start until Ohde's walk-off dinger.

Now with an even 7-7 record in Ivy League play, the Big Green look to secure the series sweep over the Big Red on Sunday with the first pitch set for 12:30 p.m. Fans can stick around after the game as the team will be signing autographs near the entrance of the Dartmouth Softball Park.

"I've never sprinted harder in my entire life"

Safe to say @AllieOhde was fired up after the walk-off homer!#TheWoods🌲 | #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/4PRzSg4KeR
— Dartmouth Softball (@DartmouthSball) April 21, 2024