HANOVER, N.H. — The Columbia softball team began its three-game series at Dartmouth by splitting a pair of one-run decisions on Saturday, falling one in game one, 5-4, but responding to win game two, 3-2.

Sophomore pitcher Erin Gallo earned a complete-game victory in the back end, allowing just two runs – one earned – on two hits while striking out six. She walked four, but settled in by not allowing a hit across the final four innings. Gallo (3-4) retired the side in order for the first time in the fifth and sealed the victory with a 1-2-3 seventh.

"She's had a rough week, but she finally pulled it together and put together a start we needed," said head coach Jennifer Teague on Gallo's performance. "When she pounds the strike zone, she's really good. We don't need our pitchers to be perfect."

Columbia (11-13, 5-3 Ivy) came up with timely hits to back Gallo up. The Lions tied the game on a two-out single by senior Madison Gott in the fifth before taking the lead in the sixth when Alexandra Yule beat out a potential inning-ending double play to score the go-ahead run.

Dartmouth (9-13, 3-2 Ivy) escaped with the victory in game one. Columbia took a 4-2 lead on a two-out, two-run single by first-year Maria Pagane, but was unable to hold off a rally in the bottom half. The Big Green used three straight doubles to tie the game before walking off on Bravo's infield single.

The rubber game is set for Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

"We told our team not to worry about anyone else but us," Teague added. "If we play Columbia softball we're pretty good. I thought we gave our at-bats to the pitchers way too much today, but I expect us to be more aggressive tomorrow."

Dartmouth rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 5-4.

After being held hitless across the first three innings, Columbia found its offense. Senior Madison Gott and sophomore Sommer Grzybek reached with one down in the fourth, and senior Taylor Troutt followed with an RBI double to left to cut Dartmouth's lead to 2-1. Troutt also delivered the tying run in the sixth when she hit a ball to short that Dartmouth's Calista Almer threw away. The errant throw scored Pagane to tie the game.

The momentum rolled into the seventh, where Columbia scored two runs to take its first lead. Alexandra Yule and Krystin Wong singled with one down to start the rally. After a lineout by pinch-hitter Bonnie Schipper, Pagane stepped up and delivered a two-run single that ricocheted off the glove of a diving Micah Schroder at second and into center, putting the Lions on top, 4-2.

The Lions took that lead into the bottom of the seventh as starting pitcher Madison Canby went for the complete game. McKenna Gray and Schae Nelson spoiled Canby's run, hitting back-to-back doubles to begin the inning and forcing Coach Teague's hand in favor of senior Maura Lynch. Canby was charged with four runs across six-plus innings, walking three and striking out five.

The first batter Lynch faced, Tiffany Dyson, doubled in the tying run. Lynch got Schroder to fly out for the first out, but a hit by Almer moved the winning run to third and Jade Bravo brought her home on a grounder to short.

Heather Turner (5-1) took the win for Dartmouth despite allowing two earned runs on three hits across an inning and a third. Breanna Ethridge went the first 5 2-3 innings, striking out six. Lynch (1-4) was credited with the loss.

Game 2 Recap: Columbia 3 - Dartmouth 2
 

Gallo went seven strong innings, allowing only two hits while striking out six – one shy of her career-high seven strikeouts from earlier this season in a one-hitter against Cal State Fullerton. She allowed just two baserunners after the third inning and got better as the game progressed on the way to her second complete game and third victory of the season.

Senior Madison Gott and junior Bonnie Schipper each had two-hit games. Gott went 2 for 4 and delivered the game-tying run on a single in the fifth.

Gallo hit two batters in the first inning to help the Big Green plate the opening tally. After Columbia tied it on a sacrifice fly by Yule in the third, Dartmouth went right back on top with an unearned run in the bottom half. Almer reached to lead off the inning and later came around to score on a sac fly, giving Dartmouth a 2-1 lead.

Columbia put two on in the fourth, but Dartmouth starter Shelby Wilkison was able to get two straight Lions down on strikes to get out of it. Two more Columbia hits by Alexandra Yule and Maria Pagane in the fifth chased Wilkison, as Dartmouth gave the ball to Heather Turner. The first batter Turner faced was Madison Gott, who singled to left-center, plating the speedy Parker from second to tie the game.

Gallo kept Dartmouth at bay with a 1-2-3 fifth and was rewarded as the Lions took the lead in the sixth. Troutt singled to lead off the inning and Schipper followed with one down to put two on for Alexandra Yule. The junior catcher hit a ball to short that could have been an inning-ending double play, but Yule hustled down the line and Dartmouth threw the ball away, bringing home Troutt for the go-ahead run.

Gallo allowed just one baserunner the rest of the game, hitting Shipley with a pitch one-out in the sixth, but retired the next five in order to finish off the victory.