Whitton Sets HR Record in Sweep

HANOVER, N.H.—If the cracking sound of a bat meeting a ball is music to an athlete’s ears, the players in Saturday’s softball game at Dartmouth’s Sachem field were guests at a symphony. Ending its Ivy League season on a high note, Harvard’s offensive power swept the Dartmouth Big Green, 14-13 and 7-2.

In a first game battle that lasted two hours and thirty minutes, junior tri-captain Tiffany Whitton hit a third-inning home run that drove her into the Harvard history books as the new career record holder with 22 home runs. Sophomore Breanne Cooley led the team with four RBI.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Harvard (28-9, 12-2 Ivy) held Dartmouth (23-16, 6-8 Ivy) to just two runs behind the pitching of sophomore Kara Brotemarkle. Tri-captain Sarah Koppel, sophomore Rachel Goldberg and sophomore Sara Williamson each homered. Koppel and Goldberg each finished 3-for-3.

“We gave it everything we had today,” Whitton said. “Scoring 21 runs was great and very impressive for us.”

While a loss to Cornell last week put the Crimson out of contention for the Ivy title, the team showed its heart by executing this solid finish. Harvard finished the season one game back of Princeton’s 13-1 league mark.

“I was pleased and impressed with how we finished this year in the league,” Coach Jenny Allard said. “I give this team a lot of credit for staying strong, for staying in until the end.”

If the Crimson can beat Boston College on Thursday—avenging last week’s 9-0 defeat—then the team will finish the year with the best season win percentage in the history of Harvard softball.

Harvard 14, Dartmouth 13

Harvard’s early offense created and maintained an early lead, as Dartmouth attempts at catchup were batted away by solid and timely Crimson hitting.

Sophomore pitcher Christine Quattrocchi started for the Big Green, but after allowing three walks and releasing a wild pitch, the bases were loaded in the first inning when Goldberg stepped up to the plate. With a triple, Goldberg drove in three runs and forced a Big Green pitching staff change to sophomore Lisa Caruso. While Caruso ended the inning by forcing freshman Beth Sabin to ground out, Harvard already made its presence known with a four-run inning.

The Big Green surged back. By scoring two runs in both the first and second innings, Dartmouth tied the game at four.

“We knew that if we gave them anything they would capitalize on it,” said Koppel. “So we tried our best to make the most of our scoring opportunities.”

And that’s exactly what the Crimson did.

In the third inning, Whitton opened a one-run gap that would never be matched by the Big Green. Leading off the inning for Harvard, Whitton walked to the plate and calmly took her batting stance. With a solid contact, Whitton lifted the ball over the fence. The home run not only put her team up 5-4, but lifted Whitton past former teammate Deborah Abeles ’00 on the school’s career home run list.

The inning that was most packed with offensive prowess, however, was the fourth. Harvard and Dartmouth each registered six runs off of four hits.

Goldberg led the Crimson charge with a solid linedrive double to left center field. On a mishandled ball by the Big Green catcher, Goldberg was able to steal third. Sabin then used her good eye to walk to first, setting up a first and third situtation for freshman pinch hitter Cecily Gordon.

Gordon bunted to third and the Big Green tried to make a play at the plate, but the Dartmouth catcher dropped the ball, allowing Goldberg to score.

Whitton took a walk and created another first and third situation, but this time it was Koppel who stepped up to the plate. Koppel drove a single out to rightfield that scored pinch runner Stefanchik and advanced Whitton to third.

Cooley kept the two-out rally going with a line drive, that scored Whitton, over the head of Dartmouth’s center fielder. Allard sent Koppel home, creating a close play at the plate, but a Koppel slide forced Dartmouth’s catcher to lose sight of and drop the ball.

With Cooley on third, it was Williamson’s turn to leg out a single and allow Cooley to score.

Goldberg ended the inning with a grounder as the Crimson batted around and ended the inning with an 11-4 lead.

Dartmouth answered by matching the Crimson’s six runs off senior Suzanne Guy, but the quick leftfielder Stefanchik retired a foul ball to end the inning and leave one runner on base.

The Crimson pulled away again in the sixth inning, totaling three runs off of four hits. Koral slapped her way to firstbase and scored when Koppel hammered a double over the Big Green centerfielder. Cooley then doubled to left center field, driving Koppel home. Freshman Lauren Bettinelli hit a single up the middle of the field to advance the runners and on a stolen base attempt that ended in an overthrow to second, Cooley was able to cross the plate.

After extending its lead to 14-10, the Crimson defense retired the Big Green hitters in order, leaving Dartmouth with only the bottom of the seventh inning to attempt a comeback.

The Big Green took advantage of their last opportunity, but still found themselvse one run short. With two outs and runners on first and second, the Crimson was just one out away from finishing with a comfortable lead.

But the Big Green needed a rally and got one, as Dartmouth first baseman Kisa Brannen swung away on the first pitch of Guy and powered the ball over the rightfield fence and narrowed Harvard’s lead to one.

After walking the next batter, Guy was pulled in favor of freshman Lauren Tanner, who struck out Dartmouth’s Carly Haggard and extinguished the comeback attempt.

Harvard 7, Dartmouth 2

In the second game, the Crimson sustained its consistency while the Big Green struggled to convert its few offensive opportunities.

Koral led off the game for the Crimson with a single up the third baseline. Stefanchik followed by putting down a bunt and reaching first on a bad throw that gave Koral time to take third. Stefanchik took second with ease, and Koppel drove everyone home with a solid three-run drive over the right-field fence.

The Big Green answered with two runs at the bottom of the first, but the strong pitching of sophomore Kara Brotemarkle silenced Dartmouth’s bats for the remaining six innings.

“Dartmouth had obviously proved to be a good hitting team by their performance in the first game, so I knew I couldn’t let my guard down and I would really have to focus to limit their offense,” Brotemarkle said. “It was much easier to do because my defense did a great job in making the plays.”

Pitching a complete game to mark her 11th win of the season, Brotemarkle was certainly able to maintain her focus, allowing only four hits and tallying seven strikeouts.

Scoring one run in each of the third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings, the Crimson gradually worked its way to a comfortable victory. Goldberg and Williamson scored on solo home runs hit in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

With a single in the sixth, Goldberg completed a cycle—one single, two doubles, one triple and one homerun—over the course of both games.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Big Green once again attempted a comeback and loaded up the bases with two outs on three Brotemarkle walks. But Goldberg fielded a ground ball and found Williamson at second for the inning-ending force.

In the seventh, Whitton singled to drive in a run while the Big Green hitters were retired in order on fly balls.

The victories allowed the seniors to end their Ivy careers on a winning note.

“I’m just so glad we played so well on my last day here,” Koppel said. “These wins give our Ivy League play a happy ending.”

Harvard 14, Dartmouth 13

at Sachem Field, Hanover, N.H.

Harvard (27-9, 11-2) 401 603 0 — 14 12 3

Dartmouth (23-15, 6-7) 220 600 3 — 13 14 3

2B—H Cooley 2, Koppel, Goldberg. D Damon, Brannen, Haggard. 3B—H Goldberg. HR—H Whitton. D Brannen. RBI—H Cooley 4, Goldberg 3, Koppel 2, Gordon, Whitton, Williamson. D Brannen 4, King 2, Conway 2, Haggard 2, Damon, Thompson, Draper. Pitchers: H Guy W (5.1 IP, 7 ER), Tanner S. D Caruso L (4.2 IP, 8 ER, 3 K). Attendance: 150

Harvard 7, Dartmouth 2

at Sachem Field, Hanover, N.H.

Harvard (28-9, 12-2) 301 101 1 — 7 12 0

Dartmouth (23-16, 6-8) 200 000 0 — 2 4 1

2B—H Goldberg, Bettinelli. D Brannen. HR—H Koppel, Williamson, Goldberg. RBI—H Koppel 3, Williamson 2, Goldberg, Williamson. D Brannen 2. Pitchers: H Brotemarkle W (7 IP, 2 ER, 7 K). D Giugliano L (5.2 IP, 6 ER, 1 K). Attendance: 150