AMHERST, Mass. -- The Brandeis University baseball team suffered a 14-3 defeat at the hands of non-conference foe Amherst College today on the road. The Judges fall to 2-9 on the season, while the Mammoths improve to 7-5.
The Judges scratched out their three runs on four hits and five walks. Rookie LF Connor Sheehan (Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln) drove in his first career run with a second-inning single. Trailing 3-1 after the hit, Brandeis still had the bases loaded, but the hosts turned a 6-4-3 double play to escape any further damage.
The Mammoths scored multiple runs in their first three innings and four of the first five. Brandeis added two more runs in the eighth when rookie 2B Tommy Sand (South Windsor, Conn. / South Windsor) scored on a passed ball and classmate Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) drove home his team-leading 10th run of the season with a single.
Amherst finished the game with 16 hits to produce their 14 runs. Seven different Mammoth players had two hits in the contest. LF Ryan Hardin led the way by going 2-2 with two runs scored, four RBI and a home run. DH Ariel Kenney was 2-3 with two RBI, a run scored, a double and a triple.
On the mound, Amherst pitcher Zach Horwitz improved to 2-0 with two hits, three strikeouts, two walks and one earned run allowed over the first three innings as five different Mammoth hurlers got into the game. Brandeis sophomore Kyle Shedden (Spencer, Mass. / David Prouty) suffered the loss, giving up seven hits and six runs (three earned) over the first two innings. Top relief performances were turned in by senior Bradley Bousquet (Athol, Mass./Athol), who went 1.1 innings allowing just one walk and starting a 1-6-3 double play, and sophomore Joshua Rakowsky (New Fairfield, Conn. / New Fairfield) who also allowed just one baserunner on a walk in one inning of work.
Brandeis returns to action on Monday, April 2, when they host Wentworth at 3:30 p.m. in their home opener.