Penn softball kicked off Ivy League play with a split against Dartmouth. The Quakers dropped the first game, 8-7, but bounced back in the nightcap with an impressive 8-0 rout. Dartmouth (8-11, 1-1 Ivy) dominated the first game from the outset. Second baseman Kirsten Costello drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on two groundouts before being knocked in on a double by Molly Khalil.

By JOE SANFILIPPO Staff Writer sanfilippo@dailypennsylvanian.com Tomorrow's contest at Cornell is of huge importance to Penn men's lacrosse, but it may be for the wrong reasons. A loss against the No. 4 Big Red - which would be the Quakers' sixth loss in a row - all but guarantees Penn will be on the outside looking in for this year's NCAA tournament.

While the No. 2 Penn women's lacrosse team boasts a balanced offensive attack, Columbia relies mainly on two threats: senior Holly Glynn and junior Brittany Shannon. When the Red and Blue (6-0, 2-0 Ivy) travel to New York to face Columbia (5-2, 0-1) at 3:30 this afternoon, the dynamic Lions duo will surely be on their minds.

Penn baseball's early-season play has been one of mixed success. The young guys have played beyond their years, but the lack of veterans has sometimes been apparent. The starting pitching has been rock-solid, but the bullpen has been erratic. The defense was shaky early on, but it has started to come around.

Princeton's women's tennis team defeated Penn, 7-0, at Levy Tennis Pavilion Saturday. The 48th-ranked Tigers played very well top to bottom. However, the scoreline did not tell the whole story of the match. Juniors Maria Anisimova and Ekaterina Kosminskaya had a chance to secure the doubles point for Penn in their number one doubles match.

If history is bound to repeat itself, the Princeton women's tennis team better not underestimate the Quakers. Last year, then-No. 72 Penn defeated then-No. 64 Princeton, 5-2, on the Tigers' home court. This year, the Red and Blue will have home-court advantage when they take on the Tigers in their first Ivy League match of the season.

Penn's Big 5 rival Villanova advanced to the final four tonight by outlasting No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh, 78-76, in Boston tonight. After Pitt G Levance Fields nailed two clutch free throws to tie the game by with 5.5 seconds remainining, Villanova G Scottie Reynolds took the inbounds and drove the length of the court for a game-winning layup as time expired.

Tomorrow, for at least one reason, the Penn men's tennis team is hoping that this year isn't like the last. In their 2008 Ivy opener, the Quakers fell, 5-2, to Princeton at home in a contest that coach Nik DeVore called "a bitter, bitter one." The Quakers will have a chance for revenge this year when they open their 2009 Ivy League slate with a 2 p.

It may not be obvious - or it may even seem doubtful thanks to its 1-11 record in its last 12 games - but things may be looking up for Penn softball. Although their record doesn't indicate it, the Quakers have been showing steady improvement - and the time may be right for the slump to end.

Erin Brennan has the speed, the build and the skills of your average lacrosse player. So what separates the Penn freshman from the pack? She plays left-handed. As the only natural southpaw on the team, Brennan can confuse the opposition since teams most often see attackers shooting from the right side of their bodies.

Men's lacrosse coach Brian Voelker may have sealed his fate at birth. The choice is an easy one when you grow up as a gifted athlete in Baltimore, Md. - the lacrosse capital of the world. Voelker's pre-coaching years afforded him a playing career most athletes in the sport can only dream about.

After yesterday's game against Villanova, it seems as though depth will not be an issue for the baseball team as it heads into the Ivy League Tournament this weekend. Sophomore Mike Mariano more-than-literally stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning, still searching for his first hit of the season.

The Penn softball team cannot seem to catch a break. Coming off of four straight losses to Saint Joseph's and Monmouth and a 10-7 loss to Lehigh earlier in the day, the Quakers seemed poised to finally snap their skid in the second game of a doubleheader. However, a questionable call by the umpiring crew forced the squad to settle for a tie in its final tune-up before plunging into the Ivy league portion of its schedule.

So you had Wake Forest upsetting Louisville. Maybe you thought Temple could make a run. Well, you can redeem your busted bracket by entering the DPOSTM/SMOKE'S SWEET SIXTEEN CONTEST. Fill out the bracket below and return it to Sports Editor Zach Klitzman's mail box at The Daily Pennsylvanian office at 4015 Walnut St, or fax it to 215-898-2050 (attention Zach Klitzman) by 6 p.