WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team extended its longest winning streak since 2016 today as the Judges defeated Lasell University, 7-3 and 12-2, for their seventh- and eighth-straight wins. The Judges improve to 8-1 on the campaign, while the Lasers fall to 5-15.
Trailing 2-0 after two innings, the Judges claimed the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning when senior RF Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) blasted a three-run home run to left-center field with two outs. It was Khoury's second home run of the season and the 16th of his career. That moves him into fifth place on Brandeis's all-time home run list, tied with three others.
Brandeis added two more runs each in the fourth and fifth innings. After two singles and a balk, sophomore SS Drew Michaud (Madison, Conn./Xavier) delivered a sacrifice fly for what proved to be the game-winning run, and classmate LF Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) reached on an error that allowed Brandeis's fifth run to score. In the fifth, senior CF Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) doubled with one away, stole third and scored when the throw down went into left field. Classmate Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy), who walked on the pitch, scored two batters later on sophomore 3B Brian King's (Palos Verde, Calif./Palos Verde) double.
Graduate student Greg Tobin (Medway, Mass./Catholic Memorial) was strong in earning his second win of the season (2-0) and the 11th of his career. He allowed five hits and three earned runs in six innings, striking out eight with just one walk. Tobin threw 60 of his 89 pitches for strikes. Grad student Brandon Musto (Milton, Mass./Milton) retired the side in order in the seventh to close out the win.
Khoury (1-4, 3 RBI, HR) and King (3-3, 2B, RBI, R) wielded the big bats for the Judges in the opener.
In the second contest, every Brandeis starter either had a hit or a run scored as the Judges rolled to a 12-2 victory. King delivered a two-run double in the second inning, while Frey plated one with a two-bagger in the third. The Judges blew things open in the fourth, sending 11 men to the plate and scoring six runs on four hits and two costly Lasell errors. With three runs already in, Frey singled to center with men on first and second. While Khoury scored from second easily, the Lasers tried to nail senior catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) going from first to third. The ball hit Hall in the back and skipped away, allowing him to score and Frey to move to third. Frey then scored on a wild pitch, making the score 9-0 in favor of the Judges.
Lasell got to Brandeis sophomore starter Asher Kaplan (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Boston Latin) in the fifth. Kaplan, who had shut out the Lasers last week, kept them at bay until CF Wyatt Sihvonen homered off the top of the left-field fence with two away in the fifth. Lasell LF Jimmy Griffin added an RBI triple in the sixth before Brandeis added three more runs in the bottom of the frame, including a two-run single by Fossas, for the final 12-2 score.
King (2-3, 3 RBI, 2 2B, R) had another big game, finishing the day 5-6 with four RBI and three doubles. Frey (3-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 2B) also came up big in both contests, going 5-7 with two RBI, three runs scored and three doubles. Kaplan improved to 2-1 on the season with six innings of eight-hit ball. He allowed two earned runs, walked one and struck out two. Sophomore Christian Tejada (Providence, R.I. / Bishop Hendricken) retired the side in order in the seventh.
Brandeis returns to action with three games against Framingham State this week. The Judges and Rams will play twice in Northborough, Massachusetts at the New England Baseball Complex on Thursday afternoon at 12 noon, and again for a single game on Saturday, April 17 for a single game at 11 a.m. Brandeis and Lasell will meet again for two more games on April 24.