SANFORD, Fla. – Rookie Kyle Brenner (Brookfield, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) pitched at least seven innings for the third time this season, but the Brandeis University bats couldn't quite overcome the University of Rochester Yellowjackets in a 6-4 University Athletic Association loss at Historic Sanford Stadium today. The Judges fall to 5-9 overall, 1-6 in the UAA, while UR improves to 2-5 overall and in the conference.
Brenner, who has a seven- and nine-inning complete game on his resume already this season, gave an eight-inning performance today. He gave up 11 hits and six earned runs. He walked one and struck out one to fall to 2-2 on the season. Junior Dylan Britton (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) gave up one hit in retiring the side in the ninth inning.
Offensively, the Judges were never quite able to overcome Rochester. The Yellowjackets scored once in the first inning, when the Judges traded a run for two outs. Rochester CF Alex Caghan was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and stole second. After 2B Ethan Sander singled to put runners on the corners, Brenner induced the twin-killing to help minimize the damage. The 'Jackets added two more runs in the fourth on an RBI double by 1B Nick Carlson and a sacrifice fly by LF Dominic Caruso.
Brandeis answered the two-spot in the bottom of the fifth inning. After sophomore 3B Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) walked to lead off the frame, he scored all the way from first on senior CF Zach Malis's (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) double to left. Malis scored on an error at shortstop after Britton – who started the game in left field - bunted him to third.
UR extended the lead back to three runs in the top of the seventh. After Carlson and Caruso singled to lead off the inning, a balk by Brenner moved both players into scoring position. A sacrifice fly by SS Marlin Myers scored the first run, while Caghan's single made it a 5-2 game before another double play closed out the inning.
The Judges got those two runs back in the bottom of the seventh, but had a chance for more. Ing led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, sophomore SS Dom Schwartz (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) singled to left. O'Hare followed with a double to left center to cut the lead to 5-3 with two runners in scoring position. Senior catcher Kenny Destremps (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) hit a ball to short that was booted, allowing Schwartz to score, but O'Hare tried to score from second and got cut down at the plate to end the inning the Brandeis trailing, 5-4. UR tacked on another run on a bases-loaded sac fly by 1B Brian Bezek in the eighth. Brandeis put two runners on in the ninth when Malis reached on a dropped third strike and Britton walked, but the Judges weren't able to push them any further.
Brandeis, which had only five hits for the game, didn't have any multiple hitters, though Ing crossed the plate twice thanks to a single and a walk. O'Hare and Malis each had a double for the Judges.
Every UR starter had a hit, Caghan, Tim LSeur, Josh Ludwig and Carlson each having two. Carlson's double was the 'Jackets' only extra-base hit. Rochester's Jon Menke improved to 1-1 on the season with six innings of two-hit ball, walking two and striking out two. Adam Sullivan tossed two hitless innings with three Ks and a walk for his second save of the season.
Brandeis wraps up its Florida season tomorrow at 11:00 am against Case Western Reserve.