Columbia
Dartmouth
Baseball Felled by Dartmouth, 5-4, in Ivy League Opener
3/28/2015 3:03:00 PM | Baseball
BOX SCORE (.html) | BOX SCORE (.pdf)
NEW YORK – On a snowy morning and early afternoon at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium, the Columbia baseball team was edged, 5-4, in game one of a doubleheader against Dartmouth. The Lions fell to 8-10 overall after its Ivy League opener.
Columbia struck first in the second inning and went ahead after a Gus Craig singled and stole second base. First-year Randell Kanemaru, in his first game back after missing time due to an injury, put together great at bat and recorded an opposite field single to make it 1-0.
Dartmouth responded swiftly in the third, notching back-to-back hits and two walks to even things up. Starting pitcher Kevin Roy buckled down and retired the next two batters, but they were productive outs which allowed the go-ahead runs to come in.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Lions put together a two-out rally. Gus Craig doubled down leftfield line and Vandercook pulled a single to right, cutting the deficit to, 3-2. Columbia had chance to tie the score after Kanemaru singled to the same spot as he did in the second, but Vandercook was thrown out and third after taking a wide turn trying to score.
The Big Green added a pair of key insurance runs in the sixth. A Nick Ruppert double and an error put runners on the corners to set up a squeeze bunt by Adam Gauthier to extend the advantage to 4-2. Matt Parisi followed with an RBI single to left to tack on one more.
Those runs proved to be important as Columbia scratched out two of its own in the bottom of the frame. Robb Paller, also returning from an injury, and an infield single put runners on first and third with one out. Craig knocked in Paller with a sac fly and David Vandercook pulled a double down the line to score pinch-runner Shane Adams to pull the Lions within a run.
Columbia had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh when Will Savage drew a two-out walk and moved into scoring position after a wild pitch. However, Dartmouth starting pitcher Mike Concato induced a game-ending groundout to preserve the win.
Kevin Roy (1-2) lasted five innings, allowed four earned runs on five hits and struck out three.
Craig, Kanemaru and Vandercook each picked up two hits in the series opener.
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