By Chris Caron
Chris Dotolo, head coach of the Pride baseball team, experienced a homecoming of sorts when his team squared off against Dartmouth. It was the first time that the third year coach would match up against the Big Green, the school where he was an assistant from 1995-1999.
In the first match-up on Saturday, the two squads endured a two hour rain delay and only got in one of the two scheduled games.
The Pride jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead after four innings of play. The Big Green came back and score two runs in the sixth inning and three runs in the seventh inning to take a 6-4 lead.
David Huth (0-2) allowed three of the runs on seven hits. The bullpen and defense gave up runs in the late innings for the Pride as Pat Dalhgren and Sam Deluca combined for one and two thirds innings allowing three runs on four walks and no hits.
The Pride tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-5, but the Big Green responded with a run in the eight and a run in the ninth to take the first game of the series, 8-5.
Sophomore catcher Steve Oliveri went 2-4 with two RBI, freshman George Anthanasopolous went 2-5 with a triple and sophomore second baseman Ricky Caputo was 2-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.Deluca (0-1) took the loss for the Pride.
On Sunday the Pride split a double-dip with the Big Green by winning the first game 10-7, and then dropping the second 14-8.
In game number one, lefty freshman walk-on Charlie Frago and Big Green starter Tim Grant looked like they were to have a pitchers duel through the first two innings but the Pride jumped on top of Grant in the bottom of the third by putting six runs on the board.
Sophomore second baseman Ricky Caputo hit his first homerun of the season in third inning and sophomore center fielder Josh Stewart knocked out his second home run at University Field this year in the fourth inning to help build the Pride an 8-0 lead after four.
Frago (1-1) struggled in the fifth and sixth innings and was pulled after five and a third innings after giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out two.
The Big Green did not go quietly as it had home runs by three different players to cut the lead to 8-7 in the eighth inning.
The Pride took action with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win.
Senior Terrance Vogenberger recorded his second save on the year allowing one hit and striking out two batters in the ninth.Game number two on Saturday had fans watching another slugfest at University Field, but the Pride came out on the short end of the stick falling 14-8.
Senior Ed Lucas had a field day against Pride pitching in the game, going 5-6 with an RBI and three runs scored.Freshman Ryan Dunn started for the Pride and pitched well until the fourth inning.
With the Pride up 6-0 after three innings Dunn gave up six runs in the fourth and allowed the Big Green to tie the game.
The Pride responded with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 8-6, but were held scoreless for the rest of the game as the Big Green tacked on three runs in the seventh and five runs in the eighth inning to cap off the game. Brendan Smar (0-1) picked up the loss for the Pride.
The Pride’s game versus Wagner College was cancelled due to snow.The Pride was also defeated on Wednesday afternoon at the hands of Stony Brook, 7-1.