WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team gave visiting eighth-ranked Endicott College all they could handle, but the Gulls came away with a 5-3 non-conference victory on Stein Diamond today.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 3-7.
• Endicott, 10-2. Ranked #8 in Division III by D3baseball.com

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After three scoreless innings on both sides, Endicott broke through in the top of the fourth. 3B Kevin Grabowski doubled to lead off the inning and three batters later, he came home on a ground out by DH Dylan Pacheco.
• The Judges responded in the bottom of the frame. First-year DH Alex Kim (Basking Ridge, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) led off with a double, while a Gull error put runners on the corners with no outs. Sophomore catcher Justin Keeler (Seymore, Conn. / St. Joseph's) bunted and reached first safely, loading the bases. Senior SS Drew Michaud (Madison, Conn / Xavier) coaxed a walk to put the Judges on top, while EC turned a timely double play while Brandeis's third run scored to help stay out of further trouble.
• Both teams put runners in scoring position in the fifth but were unable to convert.
• Endicott went on top in the sixth. Having chased Brandeis starter Sean Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Calif. / Vistimar), the Gulls started the frame with 2B Robbie Wladkowski getting hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single to right by 1B Jake Nardone. Brandeis got the next out, but a walk and a hit batter later, Endicott's Caleb Shpur delivered the game-winning hit, a single to left that put the visitors ahead, 4-3.
• Endicott added an insurance run in the ninth on another Nardone RBI hit.
• Brandeis had a runner on second in the eighth inning but couldn't get him home, while sophomore pinch hitter Aiden Schleer (Sparta, N.J. / Avon Old Farms (Conn.) doubled to right to lead off the home half of the ninth, and moved to third with two out, but the Judges ended the game with him there.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Decker-Jacoby was strong through the first five innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run on three walks and four strikeouts in that frame. He did hit three batters.
• Grad student Marc Maestri (Katonah, N.Y. / Somers) was the hardest-hit pitcher, giving up two hits and three earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning. He walked one and hit two more. He took the loss to fall to 2-1 on the season.
• Endicott starter Brady Stuart gave up four hits and three runs (two earned) in four innings. He fanned four and walked one.
• Chris Jenkins allowed just one hit with two Ks in two innings to improve to 4-0 this season. Max Tarlin earned his fifth save with two innings of three-hit work with two Ks.
• Offensively, Brandeis outhit EC, 9-8, with Kim, senior 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif. / Palos Verde) and Keeler each delivering two hits.
• Kim's two hits were both doubles, giving him seven two-baggers in his 13 hits this season.
• Nardone was Endicott's only multiple hitter, while he and Shpur each had two RBI.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis's game scheduled for Saturday at Amherst has been called off because of inclement weather. The Judges will play two games against Emerson College on Sunday starting at noon.