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.

Brandeis University Softball swept at CWRU in UAA opener, 8-0 and 3-1

Bridget Cifuni '21 (Photo by Sportspix.com / Mike Tureski)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Brandeis University softball team opened its 2018 conference campaign at Case Western Reserve University today (yesterday, April 6th, and the Judges dropped a pair against the Spartans, 8-0 and 3-1. Brandeis falls to 3-7 this season and 0-2 in the University Athletic Association, while CWRU improves to 15-6, 2-4 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)

The Spartans used the long ball to score their first five runs. Sarah Miller hit a two-run blast of Brandeis sophomore Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla./Strawberry Crest) in the second inning, and Grace Tritchler added a three-run blast in the fifth.
Case Western Reserve ended things an inning early with a two-run single by Maren Waldner and an RBI double by Tritchler, both coming off reliever Sadie-Rose Apfel (Stamford, Conn./Westhill).
Spartan pitcher Ilissa Hamilton improved to 6-3 on the season by holding the Judges to four hits in six innings. She struck out four and walked two.
Rookie Bridget Cifuni (Georgetown, Mass. / Brooks School) had half of the Judges' hits, going 2-3 with a double.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)

The Judges struck first in the second game, taking advantage of a CWRU error. With two out, junior catcher Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn./Plainville) and rookie CF Melissa Rothenberg (Lawrenceville, N.J. / Lawrence) each singled.
A wild pitch put them both in scoring position, and Lehtonen scored when rookie SS Jolie Fujita (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) reached on an error at first base. The Judges were unable to push home another run in the frame as the Spartans' Sidney Brannam induced a grounder to third to get out of the inning.
The Spartans tied in the fifth inning when Miller hit her second home run of the day, this time off of Brandeis sophomore Callie MacDonald (Hanover, Mass./Hanover).
The hosts got the game-winning runs in the bottom of the sixth when Nicole Carty blasted the team's fourth home run of the day, a two-run shot.
Brannam held Brandeis to four hits for the second game in a row, improving to 7-3 on the season. She struck out one and allowed just the one unearned run.
MacDonald suffered the loss, giving up seven hits and three earned runs over six innings to fall to 1-4 on the season.

#21 women's tennis drops Top-25 showdown with #6 Tufts, 8-1

Recap, photo courtesy of Brandeis University

WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Brandeis women's tennis team suffered an 8-1 defeat to Tufts University in a battle of nationally-ranked squads today. The Judges fall to 6-3 with the loss, while the Jumbos improve to 5-2. 

The match started indoors with doubles. Brandeis got its only point at No. 2, where rookie Lauren Bertsch (Middletown, R.I. / LaSalle Academy) and junior Michele Lehat (Great Neck, N.Y./John L. Miller Great Neck North) were 8-6 victors to even the match at 1-1. The Jumbos emerged victorious at No. 1, 8-5, as the team of Otillia Papa and Mina Karamercan upended Brandeis senior Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J./Laurel Springs Prep) and junior Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth). 

In singles action, Tufts earned straight-set wins at Nos. 1, 2 and 6, to clinch the win. Bertsch and Leavitt had the most competitive singles matches for Brandeis in the middle of the lineup. At No. 3, Leavitt played the only three-set match, falling to Lauren Louks, 4-6, 6-4, 3-10. At No. 4, Bertsch extended Tomo Iwasaki to a tiebreaker in the first set before falling, 6-7 (6-8), 2-6. 

Brandeis returns to action on Thursday against Division II Stonehill in advance of a match next Saturday at NYU in a key showdown for seeding at the University Athletic Association tournament.

Brandeis Softball sweeps Framingham State in final regularly scheduled games

Maddie Sullivan '16 (photo by Sportspix/Mike Tureski)

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (Courtesy FSU sports info) – The Brandeis University softball team won its final two regularly scheduled games today at Framingham State. The Judges took the opener 7-5 before taking an 8-2 win in the nightcap.

With the wins the Judges move to 18-19 while the Rams end the year at 13-27.

The Judges grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first of the opener on an RBI single to right by

#30 women's tennis drops UAA quarter to #9 CMU, 8-1

Olivia Leavitt (left) and Haley Cohen (photo by Ezra Brathwaite)

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- The Brandeis women's tennis team, ranked No. 30 in Division III, dropped their 2016 University Athletic Association tournament opener to No. 9 Carnegie Mellon, 8-1, today in Sanlando Park.

The Judges, seeded seventh in the tournament, took the No. 1 doubles match from the second-seeded Tartans. Sophomore Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J./Laurel Springs) and rookie Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) defeated CMU's Cori Sidell and Minami Makino, 8-5, to get the Judges on the board. Carnegie Mellon won No. 2, 8-6, and No. 3, 8-3, to take the lead into singles action.

Brandeis had chances to pick up some more points in singles, but the Judges were on the wrong end of some close scores. At No. 3, rookie Keren Khromchenko (Manalapan, N.J. / Academy of Allied Health and Science) bounced back against Sidell after dropping the first set, but couldn't hang on in the third, falling 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. Senior Maya Vasser (New Rochelle, N.Y. / New Rochelle)also went three sets at No. 6, but ended up losing to CMU's Marina Selecina, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Leavitt was in her match at No. 2 singles, but dropped a pair of late service breaks to fall to Nicholle Torres, 7-5, 7-5. Cohen lost her second set at No. 1 by the same score against Brooke Tsu after dropping the first, 6-2. Rookie Sophia He (Poughkeepsie, N.Y. / Spackenkill) pushed the Tartans' Jamie Vizelman to a first-set tiebreaker, but couldn't solve her opponent in the second set, falling 7-6, 6-0. Senior Emily Eska (Princeton, Mass. / Wachusett Regional) lost at No. 5, 6-4, 6-1, to Makino.

Brandeis (8-8) will meet NYU in the consolation semifinals tomorrow. The Violets handed the Judges a 5-4 defeat earlier this season.

Brandeis Coughlin, big second inning leads baseball to 7th win in a row, 8-4, over RWU

Liam Coughlin '17 - photo by Robert Shaw

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team matched their longest winning streak in 13 years today as the Judges defeated visiting Roger Williams University, 8-4, for their seventh win in a row. The Judges get back to .500 at 15-15-1, while the Hawks fall to 11-16-1.

STREAKING JUDGES

• The last seven-game winning streak for Brandeis was April 24 through May 10, 2003, and included the team's last ECAC Division III New England championship.
• The Judges' 15 wins are their highest total since 2013.
• Brandeis improved to 7-1 on Stein Diamond under head coach Derek Carlson '91.
• This was the first game for Carlson coaching against Roger Williams, where he was the skipper from 2003 through 2015.

BRANDEIS' BIG SECOND INNING

• For the second-straight game, Brandeis used a big inning, sending 12 men to the plate in the

Brandeis University Baseball extends winning streak to six by clobbering ECSU, 16-6

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team sent 13 men to the plate in the fifth inning, scoring a season-high nine runs in the frame, as the Judges defeated Eastern Connecticut State University, 16-6, in a non-conference matchup on Stein Diamond. The win is the Judges' sixth in a row and improves them to 14-15-1 on the season. The loss drops ECSU to 14-10.
STREAKING JUDGES

• Brandeis's win streak is their longest since 2003, when they won seven in a row.
• The 14 win plateau surpasses the squad's win total from each of the past two seasons.
• The Judges improved to 6-1 on Stein Diamond under head coach Derek Carlson '91.
• This was the first meeting between Brandeis and ECSU since 2003.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Each team scored a run in the first inning – ECSU on an errant throw on a steal of second with

Judges blast three homers in Game Two of split with Smith

Allie Hecht '17, Liana Moss '17 and Keri Lehtonen '19 (photos by Sportspix/Mike Tureski)

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University softball team hit three home runs in the nightcap of a doubleheader with Smith College Tuesday, giving the Judges a 12-4 win in six innings and salvaging a split of a doubleheader after the Pioneers won the opener, 7-1.

 

GAME ONE – HIGHLIGHTS

• The opener was a pitcher's duel through the first five innings.
• Brandeis's Sadie-Rose Apfel (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) allowed just one run on six hits through the first five frames, while Smith's Natalie Burchat (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) limited the Judges to one run on four hits.
• Brandeis scored first in the second inning, when senior 3B Madison Sullivan (Dover, N.H./Dover) doubled off the very top of the right-field fence. She moved to second on a bunt and scored on a passed ball.
• Smith answered in the top of the fourth when 2B Alyssa Pioggia (East Longmeadow,

Healy, Miller guide baseball to fifth-straight win, 7-2, at Worcester State

Ryan Healy '16 and Sam Miller '16 (photo by Sportspix/Mike Tureski)

WORCESTER, Mass. (courtesy Worcester State sports information)– The Brandeis University Judges scored five runs in the top of the 7^th inning and another in the 9^th inning to close out a 7-2 victory over the Worcester State University Lancers Tuesday afternoon at the Lyons Diamond. With their fifth-straight win, the Judges improve to 13-15-1 and match last season's win total. The Lancers drop to 10-19.

Brandeis' Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass.) registered his fourth win of the season on the mound, as he pitched a complete game and only allowed two runs (one unearned) on seven hits and striking out four. It was his third CG of the season and the eighth of his career. Registering hits from Miller was Worcester's Adam Barry (Auburn, Mass.) and Mike Powers (Weymouth, Mass.) who both went 2-for-4, while Jake Ryan(Northbridge, Mass.) (double), Mike Ferrara (Easton, Mass.), and Brian Bonacquisti (Pittsfield, Mass.) came up with the others.

Offensively for Brandeis, Ryan Healy (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) went 4-for-5  with three

#23 Men's Tennis Falls 7-2 to #2 Bowdoin

WALTHAM, Mass. – The #23 Brandeis men's tennis team fell to #2 Bowdoin College 7-2 on Friday, falling to 8-6 on the season. The Polar Bears improved to 11-0.

The Judges had one doubles victory, as second pairing senior Danny Lubarsky (Cleveland, Ohio / Hawken School) and rookie Jackson Kogan (Pacific Palisades, Calif. / Windward School) beat Bowdoin's Kyle Wolfe and Jerry Jiang, 9-7, in a dramatic victory. Brandeis lost in the No. 1 matchup, 8-1, and the No. 3 matchup, 8-1.

In single action, the lone victory from Brandeis came from junior Michael Arguello (Brentwood, Tenn. / Brentwood), who won an exciting 7-6 (5), 3-6, 12-10 victory in the No. 3 matchup. All singles participants for the Judges more than held their own against Bowdoin, which had to work to maintain its undefeated record. In the No. 2 matchup, junior Brian Granoff (Miami, Fla. / Gulliver Prep.)  pushed Luke Trinka, who won 7-6 (4), 6-4. Rookie Tyler Ng (Great Neck, N.Y. / Great Neck South) and Kogan had identical scores in their respective No. 4 and No. 5 matchups, losing 6-2 in the first set before forcing their opponent to win a seventh game in the second, 7-5.

The Judges play again Sunday, April 17,, facing Trinity College (Conn.) at 2:00 PM.

Miller fans career-high eight as Brandeis University baseball downs Daniel Webster, 3-1

Sam Miller '16 (photo by Robert Shaw)

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team snapped a six-game losing streak today as senior Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) tossed seven strong innings and the Judges defeated Daniel Webster College, 3-1, on Stein Diamond. Brandeis improves to 9-15-1 on the season, 2-1 at home. DWC falls to 6-17.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges got all the scoring they would need in the bottom of the first inning. They benefitted from three DWC walks in addition to two key hits.
• Senior CF Liam O'Connor (Avon, Conn./Avon) and rookie 2B Bejamin Bavly (Newton, Mass./Newton South) executed a perfect hit-and-run after a leadoff walk to put runners on the corners with no one out.
• Two batters later, senior LF Ryan Healy (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) hit a sacrifice

#30 women's tennis win Battle of Waltham, 9-0, over Bentley

Sophia He '19 (photo by Ezra Brathwaite)

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's tennis team swept their cross-town rivals today as the Judges defeated Division II Bentley University, 9-0, on the Falcons' home courts. Brandeis, ranked #30 in Division III, improves to 7-6 on the season, while Bentley falls to 10-12.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED - DOUBLES

• Brandeis lost just four games across their three doubles matches to jump out to a 3-0 lead.
• Sophomore Haley Cohen (Cherry Hill, N.J./Laurel Springs) and rookie Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) won 8-1 at No. 1.
• Seniors Sarita Biswas (Bedford, Mass./Bedford) and Hannah Marion (Hillsborough, N.C. /

#31 Women's Tennis beats Bates 6-3, wins 3rd straight

WALTHAM, Mass. – The #31 Brandeis women's tennis team beat the Bates Bobcats on Sunday afternoon, 6-3. The Judges improve to 6-6, returning to .500 for the first time since their second match, while the Bobcats fall to 3-10.

Brandeis started the day off well, winning two of three doubles matchups. Rookie Sophia He (Poughkeepsie, N.Y. / Spackenkill) and sophomore Charlotte Aaron (Phoenix, Ariz. / Arcadia)  won the No. 2 matchup, 8-5. Seniors Maya Vasser (New Rochelle, N.Y. / New Rochelle) and Emily Eska (Princeton, Mass. / Wachusett Regional) continued their fine season as a pairing, defeating Bates' Emma Mattson and Emma Blakeley, 8-1. It was their fourth win in five matchups.

The Judges also had a strong day in singles action, with all four of their wins coming in straight sets. Eska took the No. 4 matchup, 6-3, 6-0, and rookie Michele Lehat (Great Neck , N.Y. / John L. Miller Great Neck North) won the No. 6, 6-3, 6-1. Vasser clinched the match for the Judges at the No. 5, winning 6-4, 6-0. Rookie Olivia Leavitt (Falmouth, Maine / Falmouth) added a win at the No. 2, 6-2, 6-3.

The Judges return to the courts 3:00 p.m.Tuesday at Babson, looking to extend their winning streak to four matches.

#32 men's tennis slams Vassar, 9-0

WALTHAM, Mass. - The #32 Brandeis men's tennis team dominated Vassar College, 9-0, for its sixth straight victory. The Judges improve to 8-3, while the Brewers fall to 6-11.

Sophomore Eric Goldberg (Solon, Ohio/ Solon) and junior Brian Granoff (Miami, Fla./ Gulliver Prep) opened doubles action with a victory in the No. 3 match, 8-2. The No. 1 tandem  of juniors Jeff Cherkin (Melville, N.Y./ Half Hollow Hills East) and Michael Arguello (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood)  triumphed 8-3, and the No. 2 pairing of senior Danny Lubarsky (Cleveland, Ohio/ Hawken School) and rookie Jackson Kogan (Pacific Palisades, Calif./ Windward School) succeeded 8-5 .

Brandeis continued to roll in singles action, with Kogan, Arguello, Granoff and Cherkin all proving to be double-winners. Kogan was a perfect 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5, followed by Arguello's 6-1, 6-2 score at No. 3  to clinch the Brandeis conquest. Junior Ryan Bunis (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Groton-Dunstable), finished off the sweep at No. 1, winning the tiebreaker 10-5.

The Judges will look to continue their winning streak Wednesday, April 13 at Tufts at 3:00 PM. 

Wins over NYU, Case put Brandeis University softball alone in 2nd in UAA

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The Brandeis University softball team earned a pair of victories on the second day of action at the 2016 University Athletic Association tournament today. The Judges opened with a 7-3 win over New York University and rallied for a 7-6 victory over Case Western Reserve. The Judges move over .500 for the first time this season at 5-4, while their 3-1 record matches their UAA win total from each of the last five seasons.

 

AGAINST NYU

• Brandeis scored runs in every other inning en route to the 7-3 win
• The Judges started in the first when they scored twice on one hit thanks to a lead-off double by rookie DP Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn. / Plainfield) and two NYU errors.
• After two were out in the third, three-straight Judges reached, with rookie LF Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y. / St.John the Baptist Diocesesan) singling up the middle to give Brandeis a 3-0 lead.
• After stranding four through the first three innings, NYU broke through in the fourth thanks to a two-run double by Marissa Bella, but Brandeis junior Melissa Soleimani (Somerset, Mass./Somerset Berkeley) got a pop-up to get out of the inning.
• Brandeis answered in the next half-inning on an RBI single by junior Madison Hunter (Parker, Colo./Legend) and a double by DeLaurentis.
• NYU's Karissa Zubulake got her team within 5-3 with a home run to left in the bottom of the

Brandeis University Softball opens UAA play with split

Maddie Sullivan '16 (photo by Sportspix)

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The Brandeis University softball team split a pair of eight-run-rule games today on the opening day of the 2016 University Athletic Association tournament in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The Judges fell in six innings to Washington University, the No. 3 team in Division III, 10-2, in their UAA opener, but bounced back to defeat the University of Rochester, 10-1, in five frames. The Judges are now 3-4 overall, 1-1 in the UAA. The win over Rochester was the first conference victory for new head coach Danielle DelPonte.

 

AGAINST WASHINGTON U.

• The Bears plated single runs in the first three innings, including solo home runs by 3B Hera Tang in the first and LF Hannah Mehrle in the third.
• Brandeis cut the lead to one at 3-2 in the bottom of the third on a two-out, two-run double by senior 3B Madison Sullivan (Dover, N.H./Dover).
• Both teams went in order in the fourth, but WashU exploded for six runs – four of which were unearned - in the top of the fifth. The big blow was the Bears' third round-tripper of the game, a two-run shot by catcher Halle Steinberg.
• WashU reached the eight-run margin in the top of the sixth on a double-steal.
• Brandeis senior catcher Danielle Novotny (Milford, N.J. / Delaware Valley) finished with two hits and a stolen base.
• Junior Melissa Soleimani (Somerset, Mass. / Somerset Berkley Regional) suffered the loss in the circle, throwing 4.2 innings and giving up nine hits and nine runs (five earned). She falls to 1-2 on the season.
• Washington's Annie Pitkin struck out eight and allowed six hits and two unearned runs in six