To simulate the Arizona heat in the weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament, softball players practiced in wool pants and Under Armour beneath a bright sun. Upon arrival in Tempe, Arizona, they switched to pants made of a lighter material.
In last weekend’s appearance in the tournament, Dartmouth fell 8-0 to No. 4 Arizona State University and 8-0 to San Diego State University. Of the 64 teams competing, Dartmouth had the second-youngest roster, and the appearance was the first in team history.
Going into their Friday night game against Arizona State, Big Green players focused on trying to get a hit against Dallas Escobedo, considered one of the nation’s top pitchers.
Katie McEachern ’16 and Morgan McCalmon ’16 both said they watched for Escobedo’s rise ball, but neither succeeded the first time around as both players struck out in their first at bat of the day.
“After that first inning, our whole team made a change and started looking down at the lower pitches,” McEachern said. “I myself tilted my body a little more and did better at not swinging at the rise.”
It took one round through the entire batting order before Megan Averitt ’15 singled in the third for Dartmouth’s only hit of the afternoon.
The Big Green kept up through the first four innings, allowing just two runs. The Sun Devils took the game in the fifth when it scored six runs on four hits to end the game.
“I’m proud of the way we played,” McCalmon said. “The scores don’t reflect how well we played, especially against Arizona State.”
Through its experience at the tournament, the team realized it can compete with bigger schools and looks to come back stronger next year, outfielder Brianna Lohmann ’16 said.
Her game-saving throw-out to home in the bottom of the fifth against San Diego State, keeping Dartmouth alive for another inning, was her most powerful memory.
“I don’t know if I can ever make another throw that can be that perfect,” Lohmann said.
During the second game, viewers followed Rumley’s pitching motion in a vibrant public Twitter conversation. Rumley has a different backswing compared to other pitchers, which makes it seem like she’s winding up twice.
“It’s what she learned growing up,” Hanson said. “From a coaching perspective, you don’t fix what isn’t broken.”
After competing for Trinity University at the NCAA softball tournament in 2005, Hanson participated in the tournament for the first time as a coach. This trip, she said, required more forethought.
“I think as a player, you’re such much more in the moment,” Hanson said. “As a coach, you’re always having to think 10 steps ahead. I’m always thinking about strategy and what we need to do.”
In addition to the heat, the team also acclimated to the grass outfield and full dirt infield, which differs from the College’s turf field. However, it did not take too long for players to make the transition as many played on dirt during high school, McCalmon said.
A few of the athletes’ families traveled to Tempe for the tournament. McEachern’s parents and older siblings made the drive from San Diego to support her, she said.
“They were really proud of me and they kept telling me that,” McEachern said. “They were just in awe. Going to Dartmouth, I don’t think they expected me to play on television, so the fact that I got to made them really excited.”
The fact that they were being filmed did not set in until they returned to their hotel and watched highlights, McEachern said.
Hanson, McCalmon and Rumley met ESPNU’s Jessica Mendoza and Beth Mowins in the broadcast booth. They spoke about the team and its history to provide the commentary with more color, Hanson said.
“I’ve grown up watching them play and admiring them, and to be able to meet them and have a conversation with them was so surreal,” McCalmon said.
