Hanover
The windy victory was Dartmouth’s second during a three-game clash with Columbia (11-14, 5-4) that began on Saturday with the teams splitting a doubleheader. The Big Green hopes to return to the Ivy League championship series for the first time since 2015, when it went 16-4 in the Ancient Eight.
“Columbia has a track record of comebacks this season,” said fourth-year Dartmouth coach Shannon Doepking, whose team led 5-1 after five innings Sunday. “We knew they were going to be scrappy, but all I care about is that we got the ‘W’.”
The Big Green came somewhat unraveled during Columbia’s seventh at-bat. Freshman pitcher Shelby Wilkison got through the sixth inning in relief of starter Breanna Ethridge, but the latter took the former’s place in the circle after the Lions placed runners on first and second with one out.
Ethridge, a senior who threw a high percentage of her team’s innings last year, induced a pop-up for the seventh inning’s second out, but a wild pitch allowed the runners to advance to second and third. A triple to the right-field fence made the score 5-3 and Ethridge exited for a second time.
“The game plan was to not give them pitches inside,” said Doepking. “When Shelby started missing out over the plate, we went back to Bre because we hoped she could keep the ball outside and give us more of a chance.”
Doepking said she brought in Heather Turner because the freshman keeps the ball down, thus being less likely to give up home runs. Turner surrendered a single, leaving runners on first and second with two outs, then got Alexandra Yule to fly out to a hustling Dyson.
“She owns this field,” Ethridge said of the senior from suburban Los Angeles. “We had no doubt she’d get the ball.”
Ethridge pitched in 32 of Dartmouth’s 40 games last season, when another pitcher quit, leaving the right-hander mostly on her own. The Big Green battled to the regular season’s final series against arch-rival Harvard, but its lack of hurling depth couldn’t be overcome.
“It feels wonderful to have these other two behind me,” Ethridge said. “It lifts a lot of the pressure off my shoulders. I was playing with injuries last year and I wasn’t as effective, because (opponents) got a chance to see what I was throwing during three of four games in a weekend.”
Doepking said she became emotional upon walking out to relieve Ethridge for the first time this season. The struggles they had endured last spring came flooding back as memories.
“This game is all about pitching and if you don’t have enough of it, well, we got humbled in a hurry last season,” the coach said. “To have variety this season is very helpful.”
Ethridge allowed two runs, both earned, during 5.1 innings, striking out five Lions and walking one. Right fielder McKenna Gray had three hits and an RBI and second baseman Micah Schroder and catcher Claire Bird each had two hits. Left field Taylor Ward drew two walks.
Dartmouth visits Princeton (4-18, 2-4) this weekend.
Notes: The use of songs on the public-address system between innings and pitching changes ended suddenly during the seventh inning. The tunes continued during a Lion’s at-bat, resulting in the home plate umpire calling time, ripping off his mask and glaring at the press box. “Kill the music!” he shouted. “No more! None!”… Speaking of songs, the DJ Snake ditty “Bird Machine”, sounded each time Dartmouth’s Bird walked to the plate… Protective netting has been hung in front of the dugouts at the Big Green’s softball park… Dartmouth players, always known for rowdy cheering and chanting during games, used drumsticks to add a percussive beat Sunday… Former Big Green star Morgan McCalmon attended the game. Her Linkedin page lists her job as a mental health counselor at the Yale Child Study Center.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.