WALTHAM, Mass.- On Senior Day, Brandeis University softball's lone senior Casey Ducinski (Duxbury, Mass./ Duxbury) earned a win in the second game of their double-header against Bowdoin College. The Judges split with the Polar Bears who are ranked seventh in the New England region as Brandeis moves to 22-14 on the year while Bowdoin goes to 28-12.
In the first contest, the story of the game was the Polar Bears' junior starter Melissa DellaTorre (Scarborough, Maine/ Scarborough). DellaTorre was dominant in her one-hit shutout while walking one and striking-out six. She had a perfect game through 3 1/3 innings before walking Ducinski and a no-hitter through 4 1/3 before allowing a single to sophomore shortstop Anya Kamber (Sammamish, Wash./ Skyline High School). The Judges were not able to advance a runner past first base.
Brandeis' junior starter Melissa Nolan (Windsor, Conn./ Loomis Chaffee) also pitched a strong seven innings allowing three runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts but took the loss to fall 9-4 on the season. The big blow by Bowdoin came in the fifth when senior center fielder Gen Barlow (Norwich, Conn./ Norwich Free Academy) launched a long two-run homer over the left field wall as the Polar Bears went on to win 3-0.
The Polar Bears were led offensively by Barlow who finished the contest 3-for-4 with her two-run shot, two runs scored, and two RBI.
In the nightcap, Ducinski was the star of the show as she pitched seven excellent innings, allowing two runs (one earned) with no walks and five strikeouts to improve to 8-6 on the year. The Judges backed up their senior in the third inning when they got to Bowdoin's rookie starter Julia Geaumont (Saco, Maine/ Thornton Academy). Sophomore center fielder Amanda Genovese (North Haven, Conn./ North Haven) began the rally by drawing a one-out walk and stealing second. Ducinski followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Rookie right fielder Danielle Novotny (Milford, N.J./ Delaware Valley) was next with a single of her own before Nolan delivered a third consecutive single that brought Ducinski home for the 2-1 lead. Then, with runners on first and third, the deciding moment of the game came on a squeeze play by Kamber. Kamber executed her bunt perfectly as Novotny scored but everything went wrong for Bowdoin when their catcher, attempting to throw Nolan out at third, launched the ball to the wall in left field. Both Nolan and Kamber came around to score as the Judges took a 5-1 lead and went on to claim the victory 5-2.
The first four batters in Brandeis' lineup each racked up a hit and a run while Nolan, Ducinski, and Kamber delivered the RBI. Genovese added to two steals to reach 48 on the season and come within two steals of tying the career record at Brandeis.
The Polar Bears' were led offensively by their junior catcher Casey Correa (Stamford, Conn./ King Low Heywood Thomas) who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Geaumont took the loss to go to 10-3 on the season after six innings of work, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Judges continue their season on Sunday April 28th with a double-header at home against Eastern Connecticut State with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m.