HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomore catcher Justin Keeler (Seymore, Conn. / St. Joseph's) delivered a walk-off single today to give the Brandeis University baseball team a 5-4 victory over Nichols College at the Trinity College Invitational in Hartford.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 2-2.
• Nichols, 1-7.

HOW HAPPENED

• Brandeis got on the board in the bottom of the first when first-year 3B Alex Kim (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) stroked a one-out double and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior 1B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif. / Palos Verde).
• Nichols evened things up without a hit in the third when Andrew Croteau walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder to short.
• Croteau crossed the plate again in the third to take the lead. He walked to lead off the inning, stole second and moved to third on a single, scoring two batters later on a sacrifice fly by DH Noah Hickey.
• Brandeis reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run triple by Kim, his third extra-base hit of the game.
• Nichols got another run without a hit in the seventh, as outfielder Johnny Knox reached on an error, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder to first.
• Bison 2B Zachary McCarthy put the visiting team ahead in the eighth with a one-out single that plated 1B Dylan Moran, who reached on an error and moved to third on a wild pitch.
• Brandeis took advantage of NC wildness in the bottom of the eighth, as senior LF Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) walked and scored on three wild pitches to even the game at four.
• In the top of the ninth, Brandeis grad student Marc Maestri (Katonah, NY / Somers) had a walk and two strikeouts, with Keeler throwing out the walk trying to steal second.
• In the top of the ninth, pinch hitter Nick Heafey (Florence, Mass. / Williston-Northampton School) led off with a single, moved to second on a throwing error by the catcher and stole third. That allowed Keeler to deliver the game-winning single to right.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Kim was outstanding at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and two RBI.
• Junior CF Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass. / Mansfield) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
• Nichols' McCarthy was the only Bison hitter with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• Brandeis senior starting pitcher Christian Tejada (Providence, R.I. / Bishop Hendricken) had his second effective start without a decision, allowing just one hit and one run over four innings. He walked five and struck out three.
• Maestri earned his second win in relief, going 2.2 innings and allowing one hit and one unearned run. He walked one and fanned five.
• Nichols' John Pollock allowed six hits and three runs (one earned) in five innings. He struck out five without a walk. Jack Kabel took the loss for the Bison, giving up two hit and a run with one strikeout in two-third of an inning.

UP NEXT

• The Judges are scheduled to head to Worcester to meet WPU on Tuesday at 3 p.m.