Brandeis baseball picks up first win of season, 3-1, at UMass Boston

Sean O'Neill, Victor Oppenheimer, Kyle Lussier

BOSTON, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team got a game-winning home run from sophomore Kyle Lussier (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) to support an outstanding start by junior Sean O'Neill (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) as the Judges defeated host UMass Boston, 3-1, in their first New England game of the season. The Judges improve to 1-4 on the season, while the Beacons fall to 1-1.

O'NEILL AND STAFF OUTSTANDING OUTINGS

  • O'Neill (1-0) picked up his first win in 364 days after missing most of last season to injury.
  • He allowed just three hits and one earned run in seven innings of work.
  • O'Neill struck out five and walked three, throwing 64 strikes in 106 pitches.
  • He retired the side in order in four of his seven innings and did not allow a runner past first base after the first inning.
  • Rookie Tim Lopez (Brooklyn, N.Y. / East Side Community) relieved O'Neill after lead-off single in the eighth.
  • After surrendering a walk and a bunt, Lopez stranded two runners in scoring position.
  • Senior Liam Coughlin (Lowell, Mass./Townsend Catholic) retired the side with two strikeouts in the ninth inning to earn his second career save and first since 2014.

OFFENSE BREAKS OUT

  • After recording just one extra-base hit in their previous four games, the four of the Judges' seven hits today went for extras.
  • UMass Boston took the lead in the bottom of the first on a Dave Murphy single followed by a Kyle Boudrias RBI double
  • Brandeis answered in the top of the fourth.
  • Rookie RF Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) led off with a double and moved to third two batters later on an error that allowed senior DH Marvic Gomez (Providence, R.I. / Juanita Sanchez) to reach. A wild pitch from Beacon starter JT Morin tied the game at 1-1.
  • The Judges loaded the bases with one away, but couldn't push home another run.
  • They also packed the sacks in the fifth, highlighted by a Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif. / Chaminade) double, but UMB induced an inning-ending double-play.
  • Brandeis broke the tie in the top of the seventh when Lussier led off the inning with his first collegiate home run on a 2-0 offering from UMass Boston reliever Kyle Carvello.
  • One out later, Oppenheimer laced his second double of the game. He moved to third on a passed ball and scored on senior Ryan Tettemer's (Westfield, Mass./Suffield Acad.) sacrifice fly to left.
  • Oppenheimer finished the day 2-4 with a run scored and two doubles.
  • O'Leary reached base in all five of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with a double and a run scored, walking twice and getting hit by a pitch.
 

UP NEXT

  • The Judges return to action on Saturday, March 11 with a home-opening doubleheader against Bates College with first pitch at noon.