WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University rookie righty Pat Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass.) tossed eight-and-a-third innings of four-hit ball today as the Judges blanked visiting UMass-Dartmouth, 6-0, on Stein Diamond. With the win, Brandeis head coach Pete Varney earned his 600th career victory, becoming the 15th active Division III coach to reach the milestone and the 28th all-time. He is the third coach to reach the milestone in Division III this season, joining Tom Lechnir of Wisconsin-Osh Kosh and Montclair State's Norm Schoenig. Varney's overall record now stands at 600-360. With the win, the Judges improve to 14-13 this season, while UMass-Dartmouth falls to 3-26.

Nicholson did not allow a hit through the first five-and-two-thirds, and the Corsairs never got a runner past second base. Nicholson struck out six and walked just one, finishing with four hits allowed before two more Brandeis pitchers got the final two outs. The shutout was the fourth of the season for the Judges.

The Judges got all the offense they needed in the fourth inning. Sophomore 3B Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) singled to short to lead off the frame and classmate John O'Brion (Portland, Maine) reached on an error, putting runners on second and third. Sophomore catcher Artie Posch (Hopedale, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to left to open the scoring, while Nicholson's grounder to short made it 2-0.

Brandeis doubled its lead in the fifth on an RBI triple by rookie LF Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass.) and a single by junior 1B Nick Gallagher (Southboro, Mass.). Posch and senior SS Malcolm Cone-Coleman (Portland, Maine) had run-producing singles in the eighth inning to close out the scoring.

The Judges had four multiple hitters, led by Cone-Coleman's 3-4 performance with an RBI and a run scored. Livada was 2-4 with two runs scored and a double, while Posch was 2-3 with two RBI and one run scored. Deshler was 2-4 with an RBI, a run and a triple.

For UMass-Dartmouth, rookie Scott Tibbets (Hanover, Mass.) suffered the loss, going 7.2 innings with two strikeouts and three walks. He gave up 10 hits and six runs (four earned), falling to 0-3 on the campaign. Rookie 2B Pat McDonough (No. Weymouth, Mass.) was the Corsairs' only multiple hitter, going 2-4, including UMD's first hit off Nicholson in the sixth inning. Rookie SS Ryan McDermott (Pembroke, Mass.) and junior DH Casey Askeland (Dartmouth, Mass.) had the visitors' other two hits on the day.