Baseball knocks off #21 Western New England, 7-4, in 10 innings

Baseball knocks off #21 Western New England, 7-4, in 10 innings

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning today as the Judges earned their first New England win of the season over 21st-ranked Western New England University today.

The Judges improve to 6-8 on the season, while the Golden Bears suffer their first loss in nine games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The Judges led 3-0 after six innings.
  • Senior 3B Cameron Shaw (E. Setauket, N.Y. / Ward Melville) plated one of Brandeis's big stars on the day, classmate Ryan Healy (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon), with an RBI single in the second. Healy reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Shaw's single up the middle.
  • In the third, senior 1B Greg Heineman (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) plated junior SS Jay Schaff (Cheshire, Conn./Xavier) with a sacrifice fly.
  • Healy followed with a triple down the right-field line to make it 3-0 Judges.
  • Meanwhile, junior Liam Coughlin (Townsend, Mass./Lowell Catholic) limited WNEU to three hits over the first six frames.
  • The hosts did have base-runners in each of those innings, thanks to a comsibination of walks, errors and hit batters, but Coughlin was able to work around the miscues each time.
  • His best performance came in the fifth, when the Golden Bears loaded the bases with no outs on an error, a walk and a bunt single. Coughlin responded with a strikeout and a 4-3 double play.
  • Western New England finally broke through for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, on just two hits.
  • After a hit batter and a Kevin Marciano double put two runners in scoring position, Coughlin induced a foul pop for the first out, but 2B Eduard Colmenares got the Golden Bears on the board with a single through the right side, chasing the Brandeis starter.
  • After sophomore Bradley Bousquet (Athol, Mass.) issued a walk to load the bases for his only batter, Brandeis coach Derek Carlson '91 summoned Healy in from right field.
  • Healy got the second out on a sacrifice fly, making the score 3-2, but he walked the next two WNEU batters to knot the score at 3-all.
  • Healy atoned in the top of the eighth, driving in classmate Liam O'Connor (Avon, Conn./Avon) to put the team ahead, 4-3.
  • The Judges committed a costly error with two out in the bottom of the frame, and Colmenares made them pay with a double to left-center field to answer.
  • After both teams stranded a runner in the ninth, the Judges struck for three runs in the top of the 10th.
  • With two away, Heineman reached on an error at shortstop. Healy followed with a single, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position.
  • Senior catcher Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) knocked in the winning run by bouncing a ball through the left side.
  • Classmate Max Hart (Montville, Conn./Montville) gave the Judges some breathing room with two-run double to center.
  • Healy retired WNEU in order for only the second time in the game in the bottom of the 10th.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Healy had a terrific all-around performance, going 3-5 with two RBI, two run scored and a triple.
  • On the mound, he earned his second win of the season with 3.2 innings of relief, allowing three hits and one unearned run. He struck out three and walked two.
  • O'Connor also had three hits, going 3-5 with two runs.
  • Coughlin had a fine start, going 6.1 innings allowing five hits and three earned runs. He struck out three, walked three and hit two batters.
  • The Judges have won three in a row vs. Western New England.
  • Colmenares (2-5, 2 RBI, R, 2B), Kevin Marciano (2-6, R, 2B) and Daniel Morin (2-4, RBI) were the top hitters for WNEU.
  • Jake Kawecki started for the Golden Bears, allowing three runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings of work.
  • Jacques Boillard suffered the loss, his first decision of the season, in relief. He allowed four hits and three unearned runs in two innings of action.

UP NEXT

  • The Judges are back in action tomorrow at WPI for a 3:30 p.m. start.