ATLANTA, Ga. – The Brandeis University baseball team dropped the middle two games of their four-game University Athletic Association series at Emory today, with the Eagles winning the opening game of the doubleheader, 13-8, and taking the second game, 16-6, in eight innings. Both teams sit at .500 on the season, with the Judges falling to 9-9 on the season, 0-3 in the UAA, and Emory improving to 10-10, 3-0 UAA.
In the opener, a big second inning propelled the Eagles to victory, as the Eagles sent 13 men to the plate at scored eight runs in a 13-8 win. The Judges had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on a big two-out, two-run single by rookie left fielder Connor Sheehan (Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln). Emory bounced back in the bottom of the frame as the first eight men reached safely against Brandeis starter Albert Gutierrez (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit Prep). Right fielder Drew Bartholomew and second baseman Jacob Singer delivered back-to-back two-run singles of their own as part of the attack.
Brandeis got two runs back in the top of the third as sophomore third baseman Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy) drilled a two-run home run. It was his first blast of the season and the second of his career and cut the deficit to 8-4. Emory responded with three of their own in the bottom of the inning, including another RBI for Singer and a two-run single by center fielder Richard Brereton. Third baseman Zeke Diamond added a two-run hit of his own in the sixth to put the hosts ahead, 13-4.
The Judges scored two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings, including an RBI double by sophomore center fielder Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) in the eighth and a run-producing single by sophomore Donnie Weiss III (Swampscott, Mass./St. Mary's), but Emory was able to close out the innings and leave the bases loaded in both frames to hang on for the 13-8 win.
For the game, the Brandeis 3-4-5 hitters of sophomores Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater), Fossas and Frey combined to go 9-for-13 with seven runs scored and three RBI and three doubles – one for each player – and Fossas with a home run. On the hill, Gutierrez suffered the loss, lasting just two innings and giving up seven hits and eight earned runs, falling to 2-2 on the season in the process. Emory's Jason Robertson went seven innings and gave up six hits and four runs, striking out six and walking three to improve to 1-2.
Game two followed a similar script, with the home team scoring a bunch of early runs. Emory scored two in the first and four more in the second to jump out to a 6-0 lead against Brandeis rookie Cam Roberts (Leominster, Mass./Nashoba Regional). Brereton drove in runs in both frames with an RBI double in the first and a run-scoring single in the second. The Eagles also executed a double-steal in the second.
Brandeis bounced back to score the next four runs of the game. In the third, it was a wild pitch that scored junior second baseman Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif./Chaminade) to get the Judge son the board. Brandeis added three more in the fourth on RBIs by Khoury, Fossas and rookie catcher Liam Kennedy (Norwell, Mass./Milton Academy) to close within 6-4. Unfortunately, the Judges left the bases loaded, and Emory bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead, 9-4. They added single runs in the fifth and sixth before Brandeis struck again in the seventh, with Oppenheimer driving a run with a double and scoring on a Khoury single to make it 11-6. The Eagles ended the game an inning early with five run after two were out in the bottom of the eighth.
Oppenheimer was the offensive star for the Judges in game two, hitting 2-4 with a walk, a double and three runs scored, while Khoury went 2-3 with two walks, two RBI and a run scored. Roberts suffered his first loss of the season, lasting just 2.1 innings and allowing seven hits and six earned runs. He walked four and had just one strikeout, falling to 2-1.
Emory got big games from left fielder Jack Rubenstein, who was 4-5 with a double, two RBI, two stolen bases and three runs scored, and Brereton, who was 3-5 with a double, a steal, three RBI and three runs scored. Henry Dimlow earned the win in relief, tossing 3.1 innings of four-hit ball. He allowed two earned runs, walked two and struck out two to earn his first win and decision of the campaign.
The two teams will close out the four-game series tomorrow at noon.