Monday went a lot like Sunday did for the softball team. After being swept by Dartmouth on Sunday, the Big Green swept the Bulldogs once more as Yale fell 7–3 in the first game before losing the second game 11–3 at Sachem Field.

“It was a rough weekend,” centerfielder and captain Ashley Sloan ’10 said. “We wanted to win these two games, but we couldn’t pull it off.”

In the first game, Dartmouth (11–20, 9–3) struck first, getting a run in the first inning to take an early lead. The Elis (9–22, 4–8 Ivy) responded with a run in the second inning off an RBI double from pitcher Holly Gutterud ’10.

The Big Green answered back with three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4–1 lead.

The Elis slowly cut down the lead in the third and fourth innings, scoring a run in each, including a solo home run from third baseman Christy Nelson ’13 — her fourth of the season.

Dartmouth’s offense would not let up, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 7–3 and put the game away.

Six different Bulldogs had a hit as the Elis outhit the Big Green 8–6 in a losing effort. Gutterud gave up three earned runs and walked six through two innings, while pitcher Kayla Kuretich ’10 gave up three earned runs and walked three through four innings of work.

In the second game, shortstop Meg Johnson ’12 homered in the first inning to give the Elis an early 1–0 lead. But the Big Green erupted for eight runs in the second, getting six hits and chasing pitcher Jackie Manzer ’13 out of the game.

Yale cut into the lead in the fifth with a two-run single from Sloan, but it proved too little too late, as a Dartmouth three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth made the game 11–3, thus ending the contest after the inning due to the mercy rule.

Overall, Yale mustered only three hits in the game in contrast to Dartmouth’s 10 hits. Manzer lost her seventh game of the season, giving up three earned runs and five hits through one and two-thirds innings. Kuretich pitched two and two-thirds innings, giving up three earned runs.

Despite falling four times to a divisional opponent, the Elis are proud of their effort and are confident for the rest of the season, Johnson said.

“We played hard,” she said. “The scores aren’t an indication of how hard we played. We’re keeping our heads up.”

Over the four-game series with the Big Green, Johnson emerged as an offensive force, batting .667 (8-for-12), including two home runs and five RBI.

With the wins, Dartmouth is now tied for the lead in the Ivy League North Division with Harvard. Yale is currently in third place.

The Elis were scheduled to play Wagner on Wednesday, but the doubleheader has been cancelled in light of postponements this past weekend. The Bulldogs will be back in action at home this weekend against Harvard.

“We have to stay positive the rest of the season,” leftfielder Allie Canulli ’10 said. “I definitely think we’ll be motivated and ready to go against Harvard.”

The games begin at 12:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday at Dewitt Family Field.