HARTFORD, Conn (taken from a Trinity College press release) -- Brandeis sophomore lefty Greg Tobin (Medway, Mass./Catholic Memorial) struck out nine while allowing just one run in his first collegiate complete game today as the Judges defeated the Trinity College Bantams, 5-1, at Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium. The Judges improve to 2-6 on the season, while the Bantams fall to the same record.
Tobin scattered eight hits in improving to 1-1 on the season.
Brandeis struck first in the top of the first when rookie 1B Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy) singled up the middle to score sophomore SS Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif./Chaminade) who reached on a base hit of his own earlier in the inning. Both pitchers held strong for the next four innings before trading runs in the sixth to make it a 2-1 ballgame in favor of the Judges.
Brandeis took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth when sophomore RF Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) drove home rookie CF Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) on a two-out, RBI-single. The Bantams chipped away at the deficit in the home half when senior CF Christian Orsini (Livingston, N.J.) led things off with a triple to the right-centerfield gap before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to left field. Sophomore SS Matt Koperniak (Adams, Mass.) kept the line moving with a base hit but Tobin limited the damage to the lone run, his only blemish on the day, to keep the lead at 2-1.
The Judges put up a two-spot in the seventh thanks to an RBI single by rookie 2B Scott Ziegler (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) and a fielder's choice RBI from Frey to open up a 4-1 lead. The Bantams went hitless in the seventh and eighth innings before Frey scored in the top of the ninth to make it a 5-1 game in favor of the visitors. Trinity made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, leading off with singles by Koperniak and first-year DH Eric Thronson (McLean, Va.), but Tobin retired the side after that to seal the four-run victory.
Seven Judges accounted for the team's 10 hits, paced by Fossas, who went 3-5 with an RBI and Oppenheimer who was 2-5 with a run scored. O'Leary drove in two runs, while Frey and rookie catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) each tripled and rookie DH Alex Parrott (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) doubled.
Orsini and sophomore Koperniak were the only two Bantams to record multiple hits. Orsini finished 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base and a run, while Koperniak went 3-for-4 in his fourth multi-hit game of the spring. Trinity rookie starter Justin Olson (Avon, Conn.) went six innings in the loss, allowing three earned while striking out four.
Brandeis returns to action tomorrow with a noon doubleheader at Eastern Connecticut State University. It will the Judges' first game at ECSU since 2003.