Hanover
The Bulldogs, 4-0 losers during the opener, prevailed, 4-2, during the following contest. The Big Green fell to 25-11 overall and 13-1 in league play, but pitcher Morgan McCalmon professed not to be upset by the dent in her team’s Ivy record.
“Not a big deal at all,” said the Oklahoman, who tossed a one-hitter after losing a shot at a no-hitter during the top of the first game’s seventh inning. “Sometimes it takes a loss to get you back on track. Our confidence isn’t shaken. We’re going to be just fine.”
Second-year coach Shannon Doepking, whose team is chasing its fourth consecutive North Division title and third straight Ivy League crown, delivered a blunt assessment.
“I think it was something we needed, to be honest,” she said. “We didn’t show up to play for the whole day. We’ve been cruising along and we got punched in the face.
“We’re OK; we’ll take it and we’ll be better because of it. It hits home to not take anybody lightly. We’re a very great team and we’ll continue to be one but we have to play the way we can play.”
Dartmouth is trailed in the division by Harvard (23-14, 11-3), with which the Big Green will stage home-and-home doubleheaders next weekend. Saturday’s games are in Boston and Sunday’s in Hanover. The division winner appears likely to host South Division leader Princeton in the best-of-three Ivy League championship series. The Ancient Eight’s automatic NCAA tournament berth will be on the line.
“Coach talked about making the game simple by swinging at strikes and hitting spots with your pitches,” McCalmon said. “Up until now, our hitters have really pulled us through. Everyone has a (bad) day.
“It goes back to sticking with our approach at the plate. Yale’s pitchers figured out what we were swinging at and they just kept throwing it.”
Dartmouth scored twice during the second inning and twice in the fifth of the first game. McCalmon struck out six Bulldogs and walked one. Maddie Demore delivered a two-run home run.
Yale (14-27-1, 6-8) led 3-0 after four innings of the second contest before the hosts pulled within one on Kassidy Williams’ two-run home run in the fifth. However, Yale’s Rachel Paris hit her team’s third home run of the game during the sixth to close the scoring.
Dartmouth pitcher Breanna Ethridge (9-4) allowed four hits and three earned runs in six innings, striking out four and walking three. McCalmon (15-3) pitched the seventh.
“I think Morgan had a great day and Bre struggled a little bit,” Doepking said.
“She’s been great up until today and to expect her to be perfect is unrealistic. She threw a few too many balls and she needs to get ahead so we can do what we want to do with batters.”
The teams meet again today in Hanover for another doubleheader.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.