HANOVER, N.H. (Interstat) — Nate Kugler and Mac Burke combined on a two-hit shutout Monday afternoon and evening as the Dartmouth Big Green defeated the Columbia Lions 5-0 in Ivy League baseball at Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded under the lights, saw Dartmouth even its season record at 4-13 while Columbia fell to 4-14. The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 2-1 Columbia victory and whose ELO system gave the Lions a 71.9 percent probability to win.

The most important sequence of the game occurred in the bottom of the second inning, transforming a pitchers’ duel into a lead Dartmouth would not relinquish. After starter Evan Kleinhans of Columbia retired the first five batters he faced, Dartmouth’s S. Andersen singled with two outs. Chris Miller then followed by launching a two-run homer to left field, providing the Big Green with all the offense it would ultimately need.

Kugler, Dartmouth’s top star, was brilliant in earning the win. He worked five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two. He navigated early traffic, stranding a runner in the first after a leadoff double by Columbia’s Chadwell, and worked around a one-out double by Jack Kail in the fourth. Kugler’s performance continued a strong recent stretch, following a five-inning, one-hit outing against Penn on March 21.

Burke was utterly dominant in relief, securing the save with four perfect innings. He struck out four, retiring all 12 batters he faced to seal the combined shutout.

Dartmouth added to its lead in the third. Alejandro Puig doubled, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Taer Rodriguez, making it 3-0. The Big Green tacked on another run in the fifth on an RBI single by A.J. DeMastrie that scored Nico Banez.

The final run came in the sixth, an unearned tally after a Columbia throwing error. Puig delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Andersen, who had reached on a hit-by-pitch and advanced on the error.

For Columbia, Kleinhans was sharp early, striking out five over 3 2/3 innings without allowing a hit, but was lifted after 76 pitches. The Lions’ bullpen struggled, as Brendan Murphy took the loss, charged with three runs in three innings of work. Ray Huke allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings before giving way to Kleinhans, who re-entered to pitch 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief.

The Lions managed only two hits—doubles by Chadwell and Kail—and advanced a runner to third base only twice. They left five men on base and failed to capitalize in the seventh when they put runners on second and third with one out following a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a balk, but Burke induced a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat.

The victory gave Dartmouth a 2-1 series win after the teams split a doubleheader Sunday. Columbia next travels to face Fordham on Tuesday, while Dartmouth visits Massachusetts-Lowell.