NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — In a game of two halves, the Dartmouth College softball team took a 10-0 lead through 3½ innings before holding on for a 10-9 win over Cal State Northridge at Matador Diamond on Tuesday.
In halting a 12-game losing streak, the Big Green (3-13) barely denied a frantic rally by their hosts. CSUN scored nine times in the final 3½ innings and had the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh inning when the game ended.
Taylor Ward had a career day at the plate for Dartmouth, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and six RBIs. Billie McFadyen had a perfect day, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Micah Schroder and Tatyanah Castillo both went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored.
The Big Green finished the day with 15 hits. Pitcher Madie Augusto secured her second win in the circle, and Heather Turner earned her first save of the year.
Dartmouth plays its final game in California on Wednesday night at Cal State Fullerton.
AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Sophomore Ubaldo Lopez launched a grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning for his second homer of the evening as the Big Green (5-8) opened a three-game set with the Braves (8-6) at Lake Myrtle Park.
Nate Ostmo started the winning top-of-the-ninth rally with a double. Justin Murray drew a two-out walk and Steffen Torgersen picked up an intentional free pass following a wild pitch, setting up Lopez’s heroics.
Reliever Michael Parsons grabbed the win, getting an unusual save from lefty Max Hunter. The sophomore had to leave the stadium and head to the hospital following a pregame mishap, but Hunter returned by the sixth inning and retired the side in order in the ninth.
The two teams meet again on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla.
NEW YORK — The host Red Storm used a three-goal second quarter to open a solid lead and grab a nonleague win over the Big Green (2-4) at DaSilva Field.
Ben Martin led Dartmouth with two goals and two assists. Matt Paul and Harlan Smart had a pair of points apiece. Foster Burnley led the team with a season-high seven ground balls.
Dartmouth held a 12-6 shots advantage in the opening quarter but fell into a 3-1 gap. Smart and George Prince scored less than a minute apart late in the period to tie the game, but St. John’s regained the lead before the horn and extended it to 7-3 midway through the second stanza.
The Big Green outshot the Red Storm, 38-31. Dartmouth opens Ivy League play on Saturday when it hosts Harvard.
BEAUMONT, Texas — The Big Green (8-5) jumped on the Cardinals (5-12) to win their first post-spring break match.
Dartmouth victories at first and third doubles gave the visitors an edge heading into singles. John Speicher cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles, and Dan Martin and Charlie Broom followed shortly thereafter to send the Big Green to its sweep.
Dartmouth will begin the Ralph O’Connor Invitational by facing Texas Tech on Friday.
SORRENTO, Fla. — The Big Green started the Morehead State Spring Citrus Challenge as it finished, claiming fifth place in the nine-team field after Tuesday’s third and final round.
Senior Catharine Roddy and sophomore Moon Cheong led the Big Green on the final leaderboard in a tie for 17th at 15-over-par 231, while freshman Kaitlyn Lees and Kristen Soh provided the team’s low rounds of the day at 4-over 76. Murray State wo the tournament handily with at 9-over 873, 21 strokes ahead of Kesier University. Dartmouth shot a team 922.
The Big Green’s next tournament is the Harvard Invitational in Orlando, Fla., on March 30-31.
WINDSOR — Fresh off his school’s first VPA boys basketball championship in more than a decade, Thetford Academy’s Eli Dunnet is among three Upper Valley athletes named to the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association Dream Dozen list in advance of Saturday’s Senior All-Star Games.
Dunnet went into Saturday’s VPA Division III final against Williamstown ranked 10th in Upper Valley scoring at 13.90 points per game, tops on the Panthers’ roster. Dunnet scored 14 points in Thetford’s 73-64 victory at Barre Auditorium.
Rivendell’s Zach Gould and Oxbow’s Bryce Ilsley also made the Divisions III-IV list with Dunnet. After missing five early-season games to injury, Gould bounced back to rank ninth in regional scoring (14.24 ppg). Ilsley exploded on the scene for the Olympians this winter, averaging 14.71 ppg to rank fifth in Upper Valley scoring.
The Dream Dozen lists — no one from the region made the Divisions I-II chart — recognize Vermont’s undergraduate basketball stars. The seniors take the spotlight at Windsor High on Saturday, with the D-III/IV girls meeting in the first of four North-South games at 11 a.m.
WELLS RIVER, Vt. — The Central Vermont League’s final all-league boys and girls basketball teams include plenty of area representation.
Sharon’s Tyler Chapin and Fisher Kelley joined Rivendell’s Zach Gould and White River Valley’s Troy Walker on the all-CVL boys hoop first team. The Raptors’ Isaac Martel, the Phoenix’s Olly Skeet-Browning and the Wildcats’ Zeb Perreault and Eddie Bray earned honorable mention.
Rivendell’s Mikayla Stever and WRV’s Sarah Howe led the area by making the all-league girls hoop first team. The Raptors’ Leah Rutherford joined the Wildcats’ Sophie Howe and Toni Turner on the honorable-mention roster.
The CVL is folding after the current school year, with several teams bound for the Marble Valley League.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
HANOVER — Dartmouth men’s basketball head coach David McLaughlin promoted top assistant Pete Hutchins to the job of associate head coach on Tuesday. shortly after the conclusion of their third year together with the Big Green.
With Hutchins’ aid, the Big Green led the Ivy League with 12.1 turnovers committed per game, their second-lowest tally in 35 years. Dartmouth also set a school record for 3-pointers (264) and scored at its best clip in 30 years (72 points per game).