WALTHAM, Mass. – With a sweep of Colby College today, 13-6 and 7-3, the Brandeis University softball team earned back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Judges, who improved to 21-17 with the victories, also earned their first winning season since 2003 and the second-highest win total in school history.

Brandeis reached the 20-win plateau with an offensive outburst in game one, 13-7. The Judges went deep three times. They had back-to-back blasts in their nine-run third inning, as senior Marissa Rubin (Teaneck, N.J.) belted a three-run shot and rookie Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass.) followed with a solo shot. It was the first round-tripper of the season for Rubin and the third of the campaign for Korp. Senior Christina McWilliams (Billerica, Mass.) also went deep in her final home appearance, a solo job in the fifth. In all, five Judges had multi-hit games in the opener. Rubin and Korp both finished with three RBI, while sophomore 3B Samantha Worth (Londonderry, N.H.) had two runs batted in. Junior Kaitlin Streilein (Point Pleasant, N.J.) earned the victory to even her record at 5-5 this season.

Colby (15-13) was paced by senior RF Miki Starr (Dunbarton, N.H.) in the opener. Starr went 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Senior CF Amy Palmer (Quispamis, N.B.) was 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base for the Mules. Junior Amanda Roehn (Tampa, Fla.) suffered the loss and fell to 1-3 on the season.

In the second game, Streilein opened the bottom of the first with a mammoth home run to left field, her 11th of the season to lead the Judges. Colby tied the score in the third when sophomore 1B Randi Arsenault (So. Paris, Maine) scored on an error.

The Judges reclaimed the lead in the third on a pair of wild pitches and extended the lead with a four-run fifth as four Brandeis hitters struck doubles. Two more Mule runs came home in the sixth on an error, but rookie Emily Vaillette (Milford, N.H.) worked out of trouble to clinch the 7-3 win and improve to 5-4.

Brandeis was paced in game two by Streilein, who went 2-3 with a home run, a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Korp and junior RF Natalie Volpe (Southington, Conn.) also went 2-3 with a double each and two runs scored. Volpe drove in two runs, while Korp plated one.

Colby had a pair of multiple hitters, as sophomore DP Carlie Minichino (Stratford, Conn.) went 2-4 with a run scored, while Arsenault was 2-3 with an RBI and run scored. Rookie Brittany Tasi (Shelton, Conn.) suffered the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season.