HANOVER, N.H. - The University of Pennsylvania softball team (12-11, 4-4 Ivy) split Friday's doubleheader against Dartmouth. Penn fell in game one, 8-5, and then powered by homer runs from Sarah Cwiertnia and Emma Nedley, it took game two, 6-3.
Notes
* The Quakers are 3-0 in game two's during Ivy League play this season.
* Penn has recorded 10 or more hits in four of its last six games.
* The Red and Blue have four wins in Ivy League play which leads the conference.
* Six of Darmouth's runs came via home run.
* Sarah Cwiertnia's home run was her first of the season and sixth of her career.
* Emma Nedley's home run is the fourth of her career. She leads the team in home runs this season.
* Lucy Yang's three walks in game one against Dartmouth tied her career-high of walks in a single game.
* Jessica England has reached base in 14 straight games. Her career high is 19 straight which she set last season.
* Julia Longo threw the second complete game of her career. She improves to 2-1 in the circle during Ivy League play.
How it Happened
The Quakers kicked off the Ivy League weekend with a doubleheader Friday afternoon against the Big Green. After a six-game home-stand, Penn hit the road for the first time in two weeks as they looked to claim a spot atop the Ivy League.
Consecutive walks from Sarah Cwiertnia and Lucy Yang put runners on first and second early in the first inning, but a fly out to left field ended the side. The Big Green got on the board first with a two-run homer to left field from Morgan Martinelli.
Dartmouth added back-to-back solo home-runs from Taylor Ward and Micah Schroeder in the third that put the Quakers down 4-0 through three.
Looking to regroup, The Red and Blue took advantage of two Big Green errors in the fourth. Yang led off the inning, reaching third base on an error by the first baseman and a wild pitch. After a single from Corrie Phillips, Sarah Ketring singled down the left side to bring home Yang and then Phillips came home on an error from the third-baseman to cut the Penn deficit in half, 4-2.
Dartmouth answered, however, in the home half, bringing in four more runs.
Penn added a run in the top of the fifth as England scored on a wild pitch. Trailing 8-3, with runners on second and third, the Quakers left two runners on base to end the inning.
After Dyer left the Big Green scoreless for the second time in the game, the Quaker bats took advantage. Phillips hit a lead-off double to start the sixth and then singles from Kayla Ketring and Pederson loaded the bases. A single up the middle from England brought home both runners to cut the deficit to three. With the bases loaded, Nedley struck out swinging to end the side with the Quakers trailing, 8-5.
A 1-2-3 inning by Dyer left Penn down three headed into the seventh. For the first time in four innings, the Quakers were unable to bring runners across home plate. A pop-up to third base ended game one as Penn fell by the final score, 8-5.
Penn entered game two looking to end Friday's doubleheader with a split. Getting the start in the circle would be Julia Longo. The freshman secured the series victory over Harvard last weekend in game three, going on to win Ivy League Pitcher of the Week.
Longo picked up where she left off. After giving up an early walk, she retired five straight batters as both teams headed into the third scoreless.
The Quakers struck first in game two. Pederson put a runner on early in the inning and then England's second double of the season put both players in scoring position. Cwiertnia then went over the center field wall for her first home run of the season. The home run from the senior brought home England and Pederson to give Penn a 3-0 lead.
With Longo keeping command in the circle, the Quakers remained steady.
The Big Green tried to cut into the Penn lead, but after a double to center field England and Yang teamed up for a rundown after Schae Nelson overran the bag.
Dartmouth finally scored, bringing in one run in the fifth, but with runners on first and second, Longo forced a groundout and got the throw out at first to retire the side.
The Quakers answered big in the top of the sixth with another three-run inning. Nedley sparked the run as she hit the second homer of the afternoon for the Red and Blue - a solo shot. Back-to-back hits from the Ketring sisters made it three straight hits for Penn and put runners on first and second. Julia Schneider then made it four straight with a double deep to center field, bringing in Ashley Waco (running for Sarah Ketring) and Kayla Ketring to give the Quakers a 6-1 advantage.
Dartmouth hit its third home run of the day and first of game two in the home side to bring in a pair of runs. After the two-run shot, the Red and Blue remained up, 6-3.
Penn was unable to add on to its lead in the seventh, but as she did last weekend against the Crimson, Longo came up big when her team needed her. A quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame secured the split on Friday for the Quakers.
Up Next
Penn will look to take the series against Dartmouth in the finale on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
