Brandeis University Baseball swept by #13 Case Western Reserve, 8-3 and 14-8

Brian Shaw '20 (Photo by Sportspix / Jan Volk)

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team dropped a pair of University Athletic Association contests today ((Sunday) against 13^th-ranked Case Western Reserve University, 8-3 in the opener and 14-8 in the second game. The Judges fall to 2-13, 0-4 in the UAA, while the Spartans improve to 20-3, 7-1 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 (Case 8-3)

• The Spartans jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings in the opener. Jacob Pestel and Jacob Kucia each had sacrifice flies in that span, while Noah Mehrle had an RBI double.
• The Judges broke onto the scoreboard in the fourth on a Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. Johns Prep) sac fly.
• An errant pickoff attempt with the bases loaded allowed Donnie Weisse (Swampscott, Mass./St. Marys) to score from third on an error, making it 5-2 in the sixth.
• The Spartans'  next two runs came on steals of me. Jacob Lott stole home on his own in the eighth, then was on the back end of a double steal in the ninth that saw Kucia swipe the plate. Lott scored on a Samuel Neal single in the ninth to make it 8-2.
• Brandeis loaded the bases with one out against Spartan closer Liam Killingstad in the ninth on two singles and an error. Killingstad got a called third strike for the second out, but Brandeis's  Scott Ziegler (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) drew a walk to drive in a run. Killingstad ended the game with a comebacker to the mound.
• Brandeis sophomore Albert Gutierrez (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Prep) had a fine start in the losing effort, going seven innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He walked four but did not strike out a batter as he fell to 0-3.
• Ben Murphy went 7.2 innings and allowed just four hits and two runs (one earned). He fanned five and did not walk anyone, improving to 4-1. Killingstad gave up two hits and one unearned run in 1.1 innings to earn his seventh save.
• Weiss went 2-5 with a double and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot and was Brandeis's only multiple hitter.
• Mehrle (2-5, RBI, R, 2B) and Tyler Wypiszenski (2-4, R, 2 SB) were the Spartans multiple hitters. Lott went 1-4 with a walk and two stolen bases.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 (Case, 14-8)

• The Spartans again got off to a hot start, as they led 10-1 after four-and-a-half innings. Brandeis battled back with a run in the fifth and six more in the sixth to get within 10-8, but CWRU did not let up, scoring four times in the final three innings to reach the final score.
• After doing it with his legs in the opener, Lott was big with his bat in the second game, hitting home runs in the fifth – a three-run shot – and the ninth – a solo job. He also had an RBI double to finish the game 3-4 with five RBI, three runs scored and 10 total bases.
• The Spartans finished with 19 hits, paced by Alex Captillo's 5-6 performance out of the three-spot. He drove in two and scored once.
• Seven different players accounted for Brandeis's nine hits, with Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) and catcher Brian Shaw (Conway, Mass./Northfield  Mount Hermon) each getting two.
• O'Leary drove in a run in the fourth, Brandeis's first of the game, while Shaw had a two-run double as part of Brandeis's six-run sixth inning. The Judges sent nine men to the plate and also had an RBI two-bagger from Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy).
• Brandeis senior Bradley Bousquet (Athol, Mass./Athol) suffered the loss to fall to 0-1, giving up four runs on eight hits – several of which were softly-hit balls that found spaces in the outfield. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
• Sophomore Brandon Musto (Milton, Mass./Milton) had the Judges' longest outing, going 3.1 and allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while fanning two.
• Matt Levine improve to 4-0 for CWRU after going five innings and giving up six runs (five earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two.
• Corey Brown earned a save with four innings of strong relief, giving up two runs on just two hits. He walked two and struck out five, including the side in the seventh.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis takes on UMass Boston on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. before heading to Atlanta for a UAA road trip to Emory starting on Friday.