WALTHAM, Mass. — The Brandeis University baseball team sent 12 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring eight runs in the process, and the Judges hung on for a 9-7 win over visiting Western New England University. Brandeis improves to 11-13 overall, 4-0 at home. WNE falls to 8-14.
The Judges strung together seven hits in the decisive inning, while also taking advantage of a costly error and a passed ball. Trailing 2-1 headed into the fourth, the first two Brandeis hitters singled and were bunted into scoring position. Junior shortstop Brian Allen (Concord, N.H./Central Catholic) followed with a two-run double just inside the third-base line that put the home team ahead, 3-2.
Golden Bear rookie pitcher Andrew Mulvey (Bristol, R.I./LaSalle Acad.) retired the next hitter, but Brandeis rookie catcher Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) reached on a miscue at third base, allowing the floodgates to open. Judge junior DH Tom McCarthy (Yonkers, N.Y./Fieldston School) singled to right to bring home Doyle. McCarthy advanced to third on successive wild pitches from Mulvey, when scored when reliever Brian Mazella (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) saw his first pitch get by for a passed ball.
After Mazella issued a walk, the next three Brandeis hitters singled, with senior 2B Dominic Schwartz (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) bouncing one up the middle for an RBI and his second hit of the inning. Sophomore Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) followed with a two-run pinch single to chase Mazella. WNE sophomore Matt Fedor (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) came on to end the inning with a strikeout, but the Golden Bears trailed 9-2.
The rest of the visitors' bullpen allowed them to climb back into the game, as Fedor, senior Brendan Nugent (Milford, Conn./St. Joseph) and sophomore Tom Mahoney (Granville, Mass./Southwick-Tolland Regional) held Brandeis to just two base-runners over the final four-and-a-third innings.
The Golden Bears cut the deficit to four runs by scoring three times in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run double to left by sophomore DH Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East). Brandeis sophomore reliever Liam Coughlin (Townsend, Mass./Lowell Catholic) came in to get out of the inning with a strikeout. WNE scored single runs in the seventh and eighth, but could climb out of the big hole.
Brandeis had a pair of multiple hitters. Schwartz went 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while McCarthy was 3-5 with a run and an RBI. Allen's two-run double was the only extra-base hit for the Judges. Senior Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) earned the win with 5.2 innings of work, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits. He moves to 2-1 on the season. Coughlin went 3.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on just three hits, striking out four. He did hit four batters in his outing.
WNE had four players with two hits each, led by Milne, who was 2-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Marciano (Pepperell, Mass./North Middlesex Regional) was 2-5 with two RBI and a double.
Brandeis returns to action tomorrow against Bridgewater State University at 3 p.m. Western New England takes on Curry in a doubleheader Saturday at noon.