WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University baseball senior pitcher Asher Kaplan (Jamaica Plain, Mass. / Boston Latin) just missed out on his third career complete game, while first-year 1B Matthew Motiwalla (South Orange, N.J. / Columbia) drove in a career-high three runs as the Judges topped the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards, 7-4, in non-conference action today on Stein Diamond.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 3-6.
• Wentworth, 1-10.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Kaplan worked around two hits in the first inning, the Judges pounced on Wentworth starter Brandon Sullivan in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs on six hits.
• Runs came home on RBI singles by senior CF Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass. / Mansfield), sophomore catcher Justin Keeler (Seymore, Conn. / St. Joseph's) and Motiwalla, who plated two runners with his single to left.
• Brandeis added a run in the second on a bout of wildness from Anderson, who walked two and hit a batter before uncorking a wild pitch that allowed senior LF Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass. / Hanover) to score.
• Kaplan cruised, retiring 13 Wentworth hitters in a row between the end of the first and the sixth. The visitors spoiled a shutout bid in the seventh when a Kaplan error while covering first base put a runner on second, and Leopard RF Mike Sibert drove him home with two outs to make it 5-1.
• The Judges got it back in the bottom of the frame on Motiwalla's third RBI of the game and another wild pitch that scored senior SS Drew Michaud (Madison, Conn / Xavier).
• Wentworth got to Kaplan for four hits and three runs in the top of the ninth, but graduate student Marc Maestri (Katonah, N.Y. / Somers) came on to record the final out and earn his fourth career save.   

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Motiwalla led the Brandeis offense, going 3-4 with three RBI. They were the first hits and RBI of his career.
• Simon, first-year DH Alex Kim (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) and senior 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif. / Palos Verde) also had two hits in the game, with King and Michaud each scoring two runs.
• Kim's double was Brandeis's only extra-base hit.
• Sibert was Wentworth's only multiple hitter, going 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
• The Leopards' Matt Robinson hit a pinch triple in the ninth for their only extra-base hit.
• Kaplan improved to 1-1 on the season with 8.2 innings of work. He allowed eight hits and four run (three earned), striking out five without walking anyone. It was his fifth career win.
• Maestri retired the only batter he faced for his first save of the season and his first since 2019.
• Sullivan took the loss for WIT to fall to 0-3 on the season. He went 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs. He walked two, hit two batters and had one strikeout.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will play host to #8 Endicott College on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.