WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University softball team split a pair of University Athletic Association games with #20 Emory on Saturday, taking the first, 6-1, and dropping the second in five innings, 10-1. The Judges are now 6-12 (1-7 UAA), while the Eagles are 20-8 (11-1 UAA).
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 (Brandeis, 6-1)
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The story of the first half of the game was pitching and defense, as each team was scoreless through four.
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Brandeis was able to break through in its half of the fifth. After a single from freshman Bridget Cifuni (Georgetown, Mass. / Brooks School), a walk from junior Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn. / Plainfeld), and a passed ball, senior Marysa Massoia (Feeding Hills, Mass. / Suffield Acad.) perfectly executed a suicide squeeze, scoring Cifuni. Sophomore Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla. / Strawberry Crest) followed two batters later with some insurance, in the form of a single up the middle, scoring Lehtonen and extending the lead to 2-0.
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The Judges broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs on four hits to make it 6-0. The first two runs of the frame scored on Emory errors, which Brandeis further capitalized on with RBI singles from junior Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y. / St. John the Baptist Diocesan) and Todd.
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Emory pushed across a run on a Brandeis error with two outs in the seventh, but it was too little, too late.
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Todd was the star of the game for Brandeis. She went the distance in the pitcher's circle, allowing one unearned run over seven innings on five hits and one walk. Todd's record now stands at 3-5 on the season. She also did some damage at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles.
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Sami Feller started for the Eagles, allowing two unearned runs over 4.2 innings before being lifted for a reliever. She took the loss, falling to 0-1 for the year.
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At the plate, Jenna Wilson was the most productive hitter for Emory, going 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot.
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 (Emory, 10-1, 5 innings)
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The Judges got on the board first again in game two. After Lehtonen walked to start the bottom of the first and Massoia sacrificed her over, DeLaurentis saw 10 pitches before lining one to right-center field on the 11th, giving the Judges a 1-0 lead.
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Emory was able to answer right back in the top of the second when Jessy McLean hit a solo home run.
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The Eagles broke the game open in the third, scoring four runs to take a 5-1 lead. They loaded the bases with no outs, but it seemed like Brandeis might be able to escape unscathed after a line out to shortstop and a putout at home. However, McLean walked to force in a run, and Janelle Turnquest quickly followed with a two-run single. Lana Herrmann tacked on the fifth run with an RBI single of her own.
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Emory matched its run output from the fourth inning in the fifth, scoring four more runs. Sarah Katz had a two-out, two-RBI single, which McLean immediately complemented with her second home run of the day, this one to center field, making the score 9-1. For the day, McLean was 2-for-2 with two home runs, a walk, four RBIs, and three runs scored.
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The Eagles scored their tenth run in the top of the fifth on a delayed steal of home by Sam Vincent.
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Wilson was again impressive out of the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Feller backed her up batting in the number two spot, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
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Emory's Jacqueline Spizizen got her second victory in two days, pitching four innings while allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk. She struck out five, and improved to 13-4 for the season.
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Brandeis' Callie MacDonald (Hanover, Mass. / Hanover) suffered the loss, falling to 2-7.
UP NEXT
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Brandeis is back at it on Tuesday, April 17, hosting a doubleheader against Eastern Nazarene at 3 PM.
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Emory is also back in action on Tuesday, returning home to play a doubleheader against LaGrange beginning at 2:30.
--Corey Cohen