WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University senior catcher Kenny Destremps (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) drove the first pitch of an attempted intentional walk to deep left field to plate rookie 3B Rob Trenk (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) with the game-winning run today as the Judges defeated visiting UMass Dartmouth, 14-13 in 10 innings. The win snaps Brandeis's 16-game losing streak as the Judges move to 6-24, while the Corsairs fall to 11-11 on the season.
The 50th meeting between the two schools – Brandeis leads the all-time series, 30-20 – was a wild affair. The Judges scored runs in seven consecutive innings, helping to overcome UMD's two bat-around frames in the sixth and seventh.
Brandeis trailed, 13-11, headed into the bottom of the eighth inning, but scored single runs in the eighth, ninth and 10th with the benefit of just one hit in the three stanzas. Destremps hit his first sac fly of the game in the eighth, plating sophomore LF Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich), who had reached on an error. In the ninth, the Judges manufactured a run as sophomore 1B Pat Seaward (York, Maine/York) walked to lead off the inning. Senior CF Zach Malis (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) bunted Seaward to second. Junior pinch runner Mike Swerdloff (Scarsdale, N.Y./Ardsley) replaced Seaward and advanced to third on a groundout and scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch, the first offering from Corsair rookie Josh Rebello (Acushnet, Mass./New Bedford).
Meanwhile, Brandeis junior Dylan Britton (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) gave the Judges a chance to win in extra innings by retiring eight of the 10 batters he faced. Britton retired two batters in the eighth – though UMD scored a run on an error committed on his watch – then got the side in order in the ninth and worked around a two-out single in the 10th, setting up the walk-off heroics.
In Brandeis's half of the frame, Trenk led off with a five-pitch walk off of UMass Dartmouth junior John Quigg (Weymouth, Mass./Archbishop Williams). Rookie RF Zach Bardwell (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) followed by clubbing a double to left field. Bardwell's first collegiate extra-base hit, and the Judges' first of the game after 12 singles, put two runners in scoring position with Destremps coming to the plate. UMD pulled the infield in and their catcher held out his arm for the outside pitch and an intentional walk, but Quigg caught too much of the plate and Destremps punished him by sending the ball to deep left field, allowing Trenk to score well ahead of the throw.
Brandeis had led, 5-2, after five innings, but UMass Dartmouth sent 10 men to the plate in the top of the sixth to put together a six-spot and claim an 8-5 lead. The big blows in the frame were a three-run home run to left field by rookie 1B Alex Newton (Saco, Maine/Thornton Acad.) and a two-run triple by junior 3B Corey Allison (Taunton, Mass./Coyle-Cassidy).
The Judges responded with four unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth, with rookie 2B Tommy McCarthy (Yonkers, N.Y./Fieldston School) rapping a two-run single up the middle to put Brandeis back ahead, 9-8. The lead didn't last long as UMD batted around again, scoring four more runs, with Allison's sacrifice fly giving the visitors a 10-9 lead and back-to-back hits by rookie 2B Nate Farias (Fall River, Mass./Durfee) and senior SS John Granahan (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) pushing the lead to three runs. Brandeis grad student DH Pat Nicholson (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) hit a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to get the Judges back to within one. The Corsairs' final unearned run came in the eighth before Britton's outstanding work and Destremps's heroics carried the day.
Destremps led all players with four RBI, tying a career-high, as he went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the fourth inning in addition to his two sacrifice flies. McCarthy had career-highs with three hits in four at bats, three RBI and two runs scored, while Bardwell also had three hits. Eight of the Judges' nine starters crossed the plate as they matched a season-high in scoring, while their 13 hits tied for their second-best total of the season.
UMass Dartmouth rapped out 16 hits, with every starter hitting safely at least once. Allison and Newton each had three RBI for the visitors, while Granahan and Matt Worden each led the Corsairs with three hits.
Britton earned the win in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out one in 2.2 innings. He improves to 1-1 on the season. Quigg suffered the loss to fall to 2-1.
Brandeis is back in action tomorrow at Worcester State at 3:30 p.m.