HANOVER — The Champs’ 1958 song Tequila played Sunday during the seventh-inning stretch of the Dartmouth College and Pennsylvania baseball teams’ three-game series finale. At shortstop, the Quakers’ Josh Hood began to dance, moving his spiked feet about as if playing hopscotch.
The Big Green, however, had absolutely no inclination to boogie. Not after losing the longest game in Ivy League history Saturday and en route to a doubleheader setback Sunday, during which it was outscored by a combined 28-4. Penn won the first matchup, 13-1, and the second, 15-3.
The Quakers (17-8, 6-3) became the first Ivy League foes to sweep a three- or four-game series on Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park since the facility’s 2009 renovation.
The hosts dropped to 9-17 overall and 3-6 in league play and can ill afford many more losses during their final 12 Ivy contests if they’re to keep any title hopes alive. That stretch begins with a series at Brown next weekend and senior co-captain Matt Feinstein made it clear that his teammates had better recognize the situation.
“We definitely need a sense of urgency, because there’s no hiding that we’re 3-6 in conference and that has to turn around pretty quickly,” Feinstein said. “Anger won’t get us anywhere, but we need a kick in the ass and play with our backs against the wall. Every game from here on out should be treated like a playoff game and it needs to be a win.”
Saturday’s 21-inning marathon, Dartmouth’s home opener, remained a main topic of conversation Sunday. Won by Penn, 21-15, it set various NCAA records and left the teams’ pitching staffs in shambles. The Big Green used only five hurlers Saturday, but four of them threw at least three innings.
Dartmouth’s Justin Murray, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound freshman, started Sunday’s first game and allowed 12 hits and six runs, all earned, in 6⅓ innings. He struck out two Quakers and walked one and was followed by Michael Parsons, who surrendered two hits and two runs, both earned. By contest’s end, walk-on outfielder Justin Bustabad and infielder Blake Crossing had both pitched for the hosts.
“Every day is an opportunity for kids to show how much they’ve improved,” said Dartmouth coach Bob Whalen. “When you play 21 innings, somebody has to pitch and you can’t absorb that and not be short the next day. But they had to do it, too.”
Junior Alec Vaules started the second game for the Big Green, allowing 10 hits and six runs, all earned, during five innings. Trystan Sarcone relieved him and surrendered five hits and seven runs, all earned. Whalen, whose team has several pitchers sidelined with injuries, took his time with his postgame oratory.
Saturday “was a long, tough game and to lose it definitely takes a little bit out of your morale,” Feinstein said. “They can really hit and they jumped on us early every game and we were playing catch-up. We couldn’t get the big hits when we needed them today and, next thing you know, we were really out of reach in each game.”
Said Whalen: “They’re as good an offensive team as we’ve played. The sign isn’t just them getting big hits, it’s that every time we made a poor pitch they didn’t foul it off, they hit it. That’s a sign of a veteran team that’s playing well.”
Steffen Torgersen had two hits and an RBI and Mike Calamari had two hits for Dartmouth during the second contest. Penn’s Mitchell Holcomb threw a three-hitter during the opener and the Quakers’ second-game starter, Christian Scafidi, gave up only four hits and no runs in eight innings.
“I told them not to feel sorry for themselves or hang their heads,” Whalen said of his troops. “We played ourselves where we are and we’re going to play our way back.”
Notes: Attendance was announced at 288. … Former Hanover High athletic director and baseball coach Mike Jackson took in some of the action. As is his wont, Jackson wore a fitted cap from a Major League or college team. Sunday’s selection was the Los Angeles Dodgers. … Dartmouth left a combined 12 runners on base Sunday after stranding 27 on Saturday. … Penn’s Matt O’Neill caught every Quakers pitch during Saturday’s game and was the designated hitter in Sunday’s opener. He finished by catching almost all of the series finale.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.