Waltham, Mass. - The Brandeis University baseball team maintains their winning ways with a non-conference win over the visiting Curry College Colonels, 4-3. The win is the Judges third consecutive win, putting their record at 12-13 on the year. For the Colonels, the loss moves them down to 9-18-1.
The Brandeis offense got off to a quick start, scoring runs in each of the first three innings: two in the first, and one in both the second and third. Curry was able to plate one run in the third inning to get on the board. However, the fifth proved to be the big frame for the Colonels as they crossed the plate twice, trimming the lead to one run. A scoreless day from the bullpen would shut down any Curry hopes of winning, with the final score of 4-3.
Across the board, the Judges pitching was dominant throughout the game. Sophomore starter Mason Newman (New Rochelle, N.Y./ New Rochelle) pitched 5.1 innings, only surrendering six hits and one earned run with four strikeouts to earn the win and move to 2-3 on the year. In relief, junior lefthander Kyle Shedden (Spencer, Mass./ David Prouty) silenced the Curry lineup, scattering only one hit over 2.2 innings of scoreless work. Junior Greg Tobin (Medway, Mass./ Catholic Memorial) came in for the ninth and stroke out two batters en route to his first save of the season.
On the offensive side, the Judges showed remarkable plate discipline during the game, recording four walks in the first inning as they forced Curry starter James Mello out of the game before finishing the first inning. Brandeis would take advantage of the walks, a wild pitch, and a hit batter to score two runs in the first without recording a hit. Junior lead-off man Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif./ Chaminade) would score two of the Judges four runs as he went 1-4 with a walk.
The eventual winning run would come in the third inning. Sophomore left-fielder Tommy Sand (South Windsor, Conn./ South Windsor) led off the inning with a sharp single up the middle, some small-ball would move him over to third before sophomore outfielder Alex Parrot (Nashua, N.H./ Nashua South) would drive him in with a sacrifice grounder. Sand paced the offense on the day by going 3-3 with three singles and a walk, as well as an RBI and the crucial run scored.
Curry was paced by a lengthy relief outing by first-year Nick Kavrakis, who came on in the first and pitched 7.1 solid innings. At the plate, junior third baseman Jared Keller went 2-4, knocking in two runs with his fifth-inning single and adding a deep double in the seventh. Senior DH Jack Kallinich went 2-4, scoring a run and adding the only other Curry extra-base hit, a double in the second.
The Judges wrap up a week of non-conference games by visiting Trinity (Conn.) on Tuesday, April 16. Next weekend brings the Judges back home to square off against UAA opponent NYU in a four-game series.