CLERMONT, Fla. – The Brandeis softball team won its third-straight non-conference game to open the season on Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Grace College, an NAIA institution from Indiana. The game was played at the National Softball Training Center in Clermont, Fla.
The Judges scored in each of their first two at-bats. In the top of the first, they manufactured a run as sophomore LF Leah Shapiro (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills) walked, was bunted to second and scored two batters later on a single by senior RF Anya Kamber (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline). In the second, sophomore CF Madison Hunter (Parker, Colo./Legend) doubled to start the frame. After she was bunted to third, senior 1B Jordan Buscetto (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) singled to double the lead.
In the third, Brandeis sophomore starter Samantha Wroblewski (Delray Beach, Fla. / Spanish River Community) ran into a bit of trouble, giving up a single and hitting a batter to start the frame. After a groundout moved both Grace runners into scoring position, Wroblewski issued a walk to load the bases. She surrendered one run on another grounder to second, but got a harmless pop to third to escape further damage.
The Judges scored the game-winning run in the top of the fifth. With one away, junior 3B Madison Sullivan (Dover, N.H./Dover) walked and stole second. After the Grace pitcher got the second out on a strikeout, sophomore SS Liana Moss (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura) laced a double, her second of the season, to drive in Brandeis's third run of the game.
Grace got the run right back in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out triple, but Wroblewski got a liner to third to strand the runner on third. She retired the side in order in the sixth before stranding two runners in the seventh.
For the game, Kamber and Moss each went 2-3 with an RBI as the only multiple hitters in the game. Wroblewski tossed her first complete game of the season, allowing seven hits and striking out four while walking three and hitting a batter. She improves to 2-0 on the season.
The Judges return to action on Tuesday afternoon for the UAA tournament, where they will face three nationally-ranked teams, including #10 Rochester on the first day of action, as well as #16 Emory and #24 Washington University. You can follow the action from the UAA tournament at http://bearsports.wustl.edu/sports/sball/2014-15/2015UAAChampionship