WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Brandeis University baseball team opened its 2020 season today with an offensive explosion, scoring 14 runs on 19 hits in a 14-2 victory over Elmira College at Chain-O-Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida, as part of the RussMatt Invitational. The Judges are now 1-0, the Eagles 0-1.
Seven of the nine Brandeis starters had multiple hits in the game. Junior catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) led the way by going 4-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and three runs scored. Hall drove in a run with a double in the third inning and with a triple in the fifth. Junior 1B Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy) was 3-5 with a double, a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Fossas's two-run home run in the first inning got the scoring started. It was his sixth career round-tripper.
Senior 2B Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif./Chaminade) also had three hits on the day, including a double and two RBI. The Judges also had doubles by junior RF Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) and rookie 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif./Palos Verde).
Brandeis scored runs in all but one inning on the day, the second. Their biggest frame was the four-run eighth, which included a sacrifice fly from junior Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. Johns Prep), an Oppenheimer RBI double, and run-producing singles from senior Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) and rookie Drew Michaud (Madison, Conn./Xavier).
That was plenty of offense for senior lefty starter Greg Tobin (Medway, Mass./Catholic Memorial). Tobin scattered seven hits over six innings of work, allowing just two earned runs. He struck out six and walked just one to improve to 1-0 on the season and earn his seventh career win. Junior Mason Newman (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and sophomore Gavin Dauer (Winchester, Mass./St. John's Prep) combined to throw three innings of hitless ball, allowing just one base-runner between them.
Elmira's top hitter was 1B Tommy Fogarty, who went 3-4 with a double, the team's only extra-base hit. Taber Carter surrendered eight earned runs on nine hits in five innings to shoulder the loss for the Eagles.
Brandeis will return to action tomorrow at 11 a.m. when they take on Bates College in the first of two contests against the Bobcats during this trip to Florida. The Judges will meet Elmira again on Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m.
