WALTHAM, Mass. -- Rookie 1B Courtney Kelley (Leicester, Mass.)
drove in both Brandeis runs today as the Judges defeated visiting
Lasell College, 2-0, in the first of a two-opponent doubleheader on
Marcus Field.
In the opener, Brandeis (9-7-1) and Lasell (9-14) had plenty of
baserunners in the early going, but were unable to convert, as the
teams combined to strand 11 runners through three-and-a-half
innings. The Judges finally broke through in the bottom of the
fourth. Senior pitcher Natalie Volpe (Southington, Conn.) led off
with a double to left field. Rookie 3B Danielle Lavallee (Sutton,
Mass.) singled up the middle to put runners on the corners, and
Kelley executed a perfect suicide squeeze to break the
stalemate.
Brandeis had runners on second and third with one out in the
inning, but Laser rookie pitcher Alexandra Shackford (Center
Conway, Mass.) escaped with no further damage. The Judges were in
the same situation in the sixth, but Shackford again escaped when
another squeeze attempt was popped up into a double play.
Brandeis doubled its lead in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out
home run to deep centerfield by Kelley. It was her third
round-tripper of the season.
The Lasers threatened in the seventh against Volpe, as sophomore CF
Tricia Culver (Northampton, Mass.) singled to lead off and junior
RF Tiffany Perla (Westminster, Mass.) walked. A wild pitch put
runners on second and third with none out, leading Brandeis coach
Jessica Johnson to summon sophomore Allie Mussen (Franklin Square,
N.Y.) from the bullpen. Mussen got the first out as sophomore
shortstop Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass.) cut down Culver at the
plate. After Mussen walked rookie DP Kirsten Mammola (No. Reading,
Mass.) to load the bases, she caught the next two batters looking
to earn the save.
Kelley was the offensive star for the Judges, going 1-2 with both
of her team's RBI and her home run. Rookie 2B Melisa Cagar
(Ridgewood, N.J.) was the game's only multiple hitter, going 2-4
with her ninth double of the season. In addition to going 1-3 with
a double at the plate, Volpe struck out seven and walked five while
allowing six hits in the circle, improving to 4-1 on the
campaign.
Lasell did not have any multiple hitters, and junior SS Heather
Rose (W. Roxbury, Mass.) had their only extra-base hit, a double in
the first. Shackford fell to 2-6 on the season, allowing six hits
in four inning of work with one walk and one strikeout.