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Box Score 2 MEDFORD – Junior Brooke Plonka pitched a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts in game one and junior Billie McFadyen went 6 for 8 with three doubles, three runs scored and five rbis on the day as the Dartmouth College softball team swept Tufts on Saturday 5-0 and 7-4.
Plonka (1-0) pitched one of the most dominant games Spicer Field has ever seen recording 17 of her 21 outs by strikeout. Tufts senior shortstop Mia Steinberg walked twice – in the second and fifth innings, but otherwise Plonka was perfect.
Tufts senior starter Kristina Haghdan matched zeros with Plonka through four innings, allowing just two hits and a walk.
However, the Big Green broke through with four in the fifth inning. Walker Wicklund, Maria Angelino and Izzy Kam loaded the bases with one-out singles. McFadyen then dropped a two-run double deep down inside the right field line for a 2-0 Dartmouth lead. In the next at-bat, Haghdan threw away a ball back at her trying to get an out at the plate and two more runs scored making it 4-0.
Dartmouth added an unearned run against reliever Kristi Van Meter in the seventh. McFadyen led off with a single, then Kate Farren bunted for single which included a Tufts error putting runners on second and third. Abby Shipley got a run home with a sac fly to right.
McFadyen was 2 for 4 with two runs and two rbis in game one, while Farren finished 2 for 4. Wicklund and Kam also had two hits. Haghdan (5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER) dropped to 6-3 with the pitching loss.
The Jumbos built a 4-1 lead in the second game. They scored twice in the second inning as Emma Della Volpe had one of her three hits in the second game with one out to start it. Kat Yuzefpolsky brought home EDV with a double to the fence in left-center and took third on the throw home. She then scored when Mia Steinberg hit a sac fly giving Tufts a 2-1 lead.
The Jumbos added two more in the fourth with singles by Emma Jacobson, Della Volpe and Mia Steinberg loading the bases. Jacobson and Della Volpe both scored on a wild pitch putting Tufts in front 4-1.
McFadyen, who had singled and scored giving Dartmouth a 1-0 lead in the third inning of game two, led a five-run sixth inning that turned the game around for the Big Green. The first four hitters reached base, including singles by Mary Beth Cahalan and Kelly Beaupre. Wicklund lined out to left scoring a run and then Kam walked with the bases loaded making it 4-3. With two outs, McFadyen cleared the bases with a double down left-field line putting the Big Green ahead 6-4.
Kam, who had entered in relief in the fourth, finished off her first collegiate victory going four innings allowing six hits and one run. McFadyen was 4 for 4 with two doubles and three rbis in game two. Cahalan (2 for 4, two runs) and Beaupre were also offensive contributors.
Tufts had 11 hits in the second game, led by Della Volpe's three along with two runs scored. Casey Maggiore and Jacobson had two hits each. Cassie Cancemi took the pitching loss. Freshman Sophia DiCocco had a strong start, allowing five hits and one run in five innings.
The Jumbos (17-5), 2021 NESCAC champions, await the announcement of who and where they will play in the NCAA Tournament which is coming up on Monday at 1:00 pm. Dartmouth improved to 3-2 with today' sweep.
