Tigers and Big Red vie for Gehrig bid

Dartmouth headed into the weekend looking to capture the Rolfe Division title by defeating Ivy rival Harvard. The Big Green dominated game one, winning 14-2. The bats were alive for Dartmouth as six batters collected at least one RBI. Jeff Onstott lead the way with four RBI and one run scored. In addition to solid hitting, Dartmouth’s pitching was top-notch as starter Robert Young went seven innings, giving up only two earned runs. Harvard got its revenge in game two, winning 6-4 in 10 innings. Third baseman Harry Douglas led the Crimson with two RBI on two hits.

The second doubleheader on Saturday pitted Brown against Yale. Brown won game one 3-1 with solid pitching from starter Mark Gormley. Gormley achieved a complete game victory while giving up one earned run and striking out four. Game two was a different story as Yale won 6-2 thanks to solid hitting across the board. Trygg Larsson-Danforth led the Bulldogs with three RBI, all in the seventh inning.
Princeton faced Cornell this past weekend, the first of a pair of doubleheaders occurring on Friday. In game one, the Tigers won the pitcher’s duel 2-0. Princeton starter David Hale racked up 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work to get the win. Game two had a very different result as Cornell won 4-1. Cornell starter Corey Pappel gave up one earned run and struck out nine in eight innings on the mound. Pappel got more than enough run support to win the game thanks to left fielder Domenic Di Ricco. Though Di Ricco only went 1-4, he was able to drive in three runs.

Dartmouth captured the Rolfe Division crown after winning the first game in a twin bill against Harvard on Sunday. The Big Green won its second consecutive division title, and the fifth in 10 years, after beating Harvard 11-5. Dartmouth senior Ray Allen drove in four runs, including a three-run blast. Starter Kyle Hendricks got the win, giving up four earned runs with two strikeouts and two walks. Game two was much closer, as Harvard emerged victorious in a narrow 4-3 win. Shortstop Jeff Reynolds led the offensive attack for Harvard, going 1-3 with two RBI. Harvard starter Conner Hulse got his first win of the season, giving up three earned runs while collecting six strikeouts.

The second doubleheader on Sunday again featured Brown and Yale. Game one was a high-scoring affair, as Brown won 17-10. The Brown hitters were very successful against the Yale pitching across the board, but second baseman Matt Nuzzo stood head and shoulder above the rest. Nuzzo went 4-5 with six RBI and three runs scored. In game two, the Brown bats remained hot as the Bears easily won 11-3. Nuzzo again led the Bears with three RBI, but it was Brown’s pitching that stood out. Starter Will Weidig won his second game of the season, giving up one earned run and collecting five strikeouts.

The third doubleheader on Sunday took place in Ithaca where Cornell and Princeton split the twin bill. Princeton won game one 9-7 with solid hitting and mediocre pitching. The Tigers’ first baseman, Adrian Turnham, collected four RBI on 2-4 against the struggling Big Red pitching. Game two featured better pitching, as Cornell was able to hold onto the 4-3 win. The Big Red featured four different pitchers, but it was David Rochefort who got the win after two innings of work and three strikeouts.

However, as both Cornell and Princeton stand 10-10 in league play atop the Gehrig division, a single 9-inning game this Wednesday will determine who heads to Hanover for the Ivy League Championship against Dartmouth.