HOUSTON — Spring break in Texas apparently suits the Dartmouth College men’s tennis team just fine.
The Big Green, ranked 45th in the nation, slapped a 4-1 defeat on Rice on Sunday to cap its visit to the Ralph O’Connor Rice Invitational tournament. The victory capped a perfect visit for Dartmouth (11-5), which claimed the Frank D. Guernsey Jr. and Wilber E. Hess Challege Cup with the tournament win.
As it did in all four of its spring break matches over the past week, Dartmouth won the doubles point to set the table for a victorious day. No. 4 Peter Conklin and No. 5 Sid Chari won their singles matches to boost the Big Green’s lead to 3-0, and No. 2 David Horneffer clinched the decision after the Owls (9-1) earned their sole point at No. 1.
Dartmouth opens Ivy play on Saturday at Princeton.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Right-hander Andrew Gnazzo helped Princeton (4-13, 1-2 league) salvage the final game of an Ivy League season-opening series with the Big Green (7-11, 2-1), with Dartmouth managing just a pair of runs one day after scoring 33 in a doubleheader sweep.
The Big Green had numerous opportunities to put more runs on the board but left 12 men on base. Dartmouth collected seven hits — by seven different hitters — along with four walks and a pair of hit batsmen.
Princeton tagged Big Green starter Tyler Fagler (0-2) for three runs in the first as each of the first three batters recorded hits. After Gnazzo held Dartmouth scoreless for the first three frames, the Big Green started pecking away with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. The Tigers regained control with a two-run home sixth followed by a three-run rally in the seventh to put the game away.
The Big Green visits Quinnipiac on Wednesday.
NEW YORK — Columbia completed an Ivy League sweep of Dartmouth, 9-1 and 6-4, to take all three games of their weekend series at the Columbia Softball Stadium.
The Lions (10-10, 3-0) needed just six innings to run-rule the Big Green (3-17, 0-3) in the opener. Morgan Martinelli’s RBI grounder scored Calista Almer for Dartmouth’s run in the first inning, but it was all Columbia from there.
Billie McFadyen went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run for the Big Green in the nightcap, and Almer also went 2-for-4 and scored once. Dartmouth cut into 3-0 and 5-1 leads by the Lions but could never complete a comeback.
Penn visits Dartmouth on Saturday and Sunday in the Big Green’s home openers.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Sophomore Sam Ohno continued his consistent play with an even-par round to close the Furman Invitational as Dartmouth moved up a spot to ninth in the 21-team field.
The Big Green completed the tournament with a score 31-over-par team tally of 883, Coastal Carolina managed to hold off Davidson for the team title by four strokes at 7-under 845.
Ohno’s final-day 71 left him at 5-over 218 for the tournament, good for a tie for 25th place out of 118 golfers. Furman’s Keller Harper won the tourney at 8-under 205.