WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team scored its season-high in runs and had their largest margin of victory today as the Judges scored 12 runs in their final four at-bats to defeat visiting Johnson and Wales (R.I.) University, 15-3, on Stein Diamond. With the win, the Judges move to 18-12, while the Wildcats fall to 16-11-1.
In addition to their season-high in hits, Brandeis matched their second-highest hit total of the season with 14. The Judges also drew nine walks and took advantage of six JWU errors to score eight unearned runs, more than half of their total. The 13-run margin of victory was Brandeis's largest since 2008.
Senior CF Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) had a tremendous day at the plate for the Judges out of the leadoff spot. He went 3-for-5 with a walk, three RBI, a career-high four runs scored and a home run. His two-run blast to left-center field in the sixth inning was his second of the season and the 11th of his career.
Classmate Eric Rosenberg (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) also had three hits in the contest, going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Rosenberg had a two-run double in the first and now leads the team with 11 two-baggers and 29 RBI on the campaign. Rookie SS Dom Schwartz (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) had three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice, while senior DH/3B Pat Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass./Walpole) was 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and a towering home run in the eighth inning, the first of his campaign and second of his career.
All this offense powered a fine performance on the mound by sophomore lefty Mike Swerdloff (Scarsdale, N.Y./Ardsley). Swerdloff tossed a career-high 8.1 innings, scattering nine hits and striking out six, while walking none. He allowed Johnson and Wales three runs on five hits in the second inning, but gave up just four hits the rest of the way, throwing 79 of his 104 pitches for strikes. Swerdloff improved to 3-3 on the season with the win.
Johnson and Wales junior catcher Joe Coppola (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) led the Wildcats with three hits in four at-bats, including an RBI single in the second. Sophomore DH/P Pete Rosa (Ambler, Pa./Germantown Acad.) also had two hits, along with a run scored and a stolen base. JWU did not have any extra-base hits. Sophomore Aaron Fenstermacher (Dixfield, Maine/Dirigo) suffered the loss with 2.2 innings of relief in which he gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits. He was the lone JWU pitcher who did not surrender a walk and had one strikeout. Rookie starter Remy Cohen (Atlantic Highlands, N.J./Christian Brothers) went three innings and gave up four hits and three earned run, walking five and fanning one.
Brandeis hits the road on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Western New England College, the No. 2 team in New England, while Johnson and Wales takes on in-state rival Rhode Island College tomorrow at 3 p.m.