With the score tied at one in the bottom of the seventh, the Big Green put runners on first and second with one out thanks to singles by seniors Nick Ruppert and Adam Gauthier. Holy Cross turned to the bullpen in the form of Hanover native Joe Cravero to subdue Dartmouth, but on his second pitch, Ruppert and Gauthier took off on a double steal. The throw to third sailed high and into left field, allowing Ruppert to score an unearned run for a 2-1 Big Green lead.
Junior right-hander Chris Burkholder (1-0) returned to the mound in the eighth for his third inning of
work and quickly set the side down in order, finishing with a flourish by pumping a third strike past a Crusader hitter for the final out. In the ninth, sophomore closer Patrick Peterson climbed the hill to close out the victory. Although he surrendered an infield single to start the stanza, he was able to retire the next three batters for his first save this season. His strikeout of Thomas Russo to end the game as snow started to fall left the tying run stranded at second for the ninth punchout of the day by the four Dartmouth hurlers.
The first Big Green run also scored after a thrilling steal of third base. Freshman Mike Brown led off the sixth inning with his second hit of the day — the only player for either team with two knocks — and took second on a sacrifice bunt. He was still standing there with two outs when he got a walking lead and easily swiped third, putting the tying run just 90 feet away. Senior Thomas Roulis provided the clutch hit, dumping a liner down the left-field line for an RBI single.
The lone Holy Cross tally of the day was an unearned run in the fifth. Sophomore reliever Sam Fichthorn had retired the first four Crusaders he faced after entering at the start of the fourth inning, but Josh Hassell hit a liner into the gap in right-center. Ruppert valiantly dove for the ball but came up short, and the right fielder Brown was there to back him up, but kicked the ball away, allowing Hassell to reach third on his double. Russo followed with a fly to right, and Hassell sprinted home with the game’s first run as the throw went up the third-base line.
Neither starting pitcher allowed a run with Dartmouth’s Clay Chatham allowing just a single to go with a pair of punchouts in his three innings of work, and Pat McGowan yielding three singles and three walks in 4.1 frames while whiffing three.
Danny Barlok (0-3) was stuck with the loss for surrendering both Big Green runs, one of which was earned, on four hits in two innings.
Holy Cross threatened to extend its 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth when the first two batters reached on free passes. But Burkholder came on and induced a pop up on a bunt attempt, then allowed an infield single before a strikeout and a routine fly to center left the bases loaded.
The Crusaders also put the leadoff runner on in the seventh and the ninth, but both times Dartmouth was able to work around them.
The two teams combined for just 11 hits on the cold, raw day, seven off the Big Green bats.
Dartmouth next hosts Penn for a doubleheader on Saturday as the college will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the varsity baseball program. Numerous former players will be back in Hanover to cheer on the Big Green and attend a banquet that evening. The twinbill will begin at noon and can be viewed live on the Ivy League Digital Network with Wayne Young ’72 calling the action.
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