Columbia
DARTMOUTH (Game 1)
Dartmouth Takes Two in Ivy League Baseball Opener
4/2/2011 5:13:00 PM | Baseball
NEW YORK -- Jason Brooks hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning as Dartmouth defeated the Lions 6-4 in the opener after Columbia had rallied to grab a 4-3 lead in the previous half inning. The Big Green then rode the right arm of Cole Sulser to an 8-1 win in the nightcap as Dartmouth started the Ivy League season with two wins over Columbia.
Game One
The Big Green got off to a quick start in the opener when Joe Sclafani led off the game with a home run over the center field fence. Two batters later, Chris O'Dowd belted a solo home run, which staked Dartmouth to an early 2-0 advantage.
Trailing 3-0 in the third, Columbia mounted its comeback. After Dartmouth starter Kyle Hunter retired the first six batters he faced, Alex Godshall led off the Columbia third with a ringing double into left center. Alex Ferrera followed with a single into shallow right field, putting runners on the corners.
Mike Fischer dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position with one out. A groundout by Nick Cox plated Godshall with the Lions' first run of the game and Jon Eisen followed by laying down a gorgeous bunt down the third base line to score Ferrera with two outs, getting Columbia within a run at 3-2.
Meanwhile, Columbia starter Pat Lowery settled in, striking out eight batters in the game and holding Dartmouth without a run in innings three, four, five and six.
The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the sixth when Nick Cox led off with a single to left field. Eisen bunted Cox over to second and Dario Pizzano drew a walk on a 3-2 count to put two runners on base.
Hunter then balked with Alexander Aurrichio at the plate, moving both runners into scoring position and Aurrichio took advantage. The Lions' cleanup hitter lined a single back up the middle, scoring Cox easily and Pizzano also scored, giving Columbia a 4-3 lead, inciting a huge roar from the home crowd.
In the seventh, Lowery got Sclafani on a groundout to first on a nice play made by Eric Williams. Sam Bean then drew a walk on 3-2 and Chris O'Dowd followed with a bloop single to center. Jason Brooks then swung at the first pitch from Columbia reliever Tim Giel, sending it over the right field wall for a three-run shot, putting Dartmouth back in front, 6-4.
Hunter got Columbia in order in the seventh, nailing down his third victory of the season.
Game Two
Chris O'Dowd homered for the second straight game, providing a two-run shot in the first inning to get Dartmouth off to a quick 2-0 advantage.
The Big Green eventually got to Columbia starter Geoff Whitaker for seven runs, six earned, in five innings. Whitaker only allowed one walk and struck out five.
Zack Tax came on in relief in the sixth and yielded a one-out triple to Joe Sclafani, who scored on a sacrifice fly from Sam Beam, making it 8-0 Dartmouth.
Tax pitched a scoreless seventh and Max Lautmann and Roger Aquino hung up zeroes in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.
Sulser was extremely strong through 7 2/3 innings, allowing just four hits and no runs. He walked just one and struck out seven.
Columbia got its run in the bottom of the ninth when Alex Ferrera singled home Alexander Aurrichio, who singled earlier in the inning against Dartmouth reliever Michael Johnson.
The Lions continue Ivy League play on Sunday, April 3 against Harvard in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
NOTES:
Pat Lowery's eight strikeouts in game one were a career high for the right-hander ... Alexander Aurrichio has hit safely in six of his last seven games and has nine RBI during that span ... Dario Pizzano has hit safely in 17 of 19 games this season ... Nick Ferraresi lined into a hard-luck double play in game one when he rocketed one right at the glove of left-hander Kyle Hunter, who barely had to move his glove to pick off the scorcher and he threw to first for the easy two ... the game was played under sunny skies and 55 degrees in New York City after a wintry mix hit the Northeast a day earlier, on April Fools Day nonetheless.
