WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University grad student Marc Maestri (Katonah, N.Y./Katonah) pitched into the seventh inning for the third time this season, but the Judge offense was unable to get anything going as they suffered a 9-0 defeat at the hands of Western New England University tonight under the lights on Stein Diamond.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 5-29.
• WNEU: 22-8-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Through the first six innings, the only run came when the Golden Bears' CJ Willis hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning. It was his team-leading 11^th of the season.
• Maestri kept the visitors in check over the next five innings, as he didn't allow them another hit until the seventh. He worked around a hit batter, an error and a walk in the third by getting two strikeouts.
• Brandeis was unable to capitalize despite getting six hits and two walks against WNE starter Matt Lauria.
• The Judges stranded two runners in scoring position in the second, and had two more runners on in the fourth.
• In the sixth, senior 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif./Palos Verde) singled to lead off the inning, but the Judges hit into a 4-3 double play, before senior LF Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) also had a hit that would have delivered a runner from second.
• Maestri ran into trouble in the seventh, when the Golden Bears scored two runs on three hits, a hit batter and a sacrifice fly. The visitors left the bases loaded when reliever Reid Latham (North Easton, Mass. / Oliver Ames) got a strikeout to keep the deficit at 3-0.
• Latham nearly escaped a jam of his own making in the eighth inning, when he loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. Latham got WNE to hit into a force at home, followed by a strikeout. He was up, 2-2, on the next batter when a good-looking pitch was called a ball. 2B Paul Villeco then drilled the next pitch to center for a double, clearing the bases and giving the visitors a 7-0 lead.
• WNE tacked on two runs on three hits in the top of the ninth to secure the 9-0 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Maestri was the hard-luck loser for Brandeis, going 6.2 innings and allowing five hits and three earned runs. He struck out seven, walked two and hit two batters. Maestri falls to 2-5 on the season.
• WNE's Lauria improved to 5-2 with eight innings of shutout ball. He allowed six hits and struck out eight while walking two and hitting one batter.
• The Golden Bears finished up with 10 hits, eight of which came in the seventh inning and after. Villeco finished with four RBI for the visitors, while Willis had a game-high three hits. Aaron Cole scored three runs on the night.
• Brandeis's Simon was the Judges' only multiple hitter, while senior SS Drew Michaud (Madison, Conn. / Xavier) had a double for the team's only extra-base hit.

UP NEXT

• The Judges are scheduled to celebrate Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against Curry College.