Softball drops a pair of tight games to Eastern Nazarene, 4-1 & 4-3

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University softball team played a pair of non-conference games on Marcus Field today and the Judges dropped both contests to Eastern Nazarene College by scores of 4-1 and 4-3. With the losses, the Judges fall to 6-14 on the season. The Lions improve to 20-8.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 (ENC, 4-1)

• Despite both teams getting six hits, Brandeis couldn't solve ENC starter Elisabeth Schaffer.
• Schaffer threw 132 pitches and went the distance, allowing six hits and one earned run to improve to 11-4. She struck out 10, walked four and hit a batter, but stranded 11 Judge runners.
• Offensively, ENC got three RBI by catcher Lauren Clements. She belted her team-leading sixth home run in the top of the first against Brandeis senior Sadie-Rose Apfel (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) with one aboard for all the scoring the Lions would need.
• Clements added an RBI single in the third inning.
• SS Dominique Santos also hit a home run, a solo shot to lead off the fifth inning that made it 4-0 in favor of the visitors.
• Brandeis got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by sophomore DP PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn Regional) that plated junior catcher Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn./Plainfield).
• Apfel suffered the loss in the circle, giving up five hits and four runs (three earned) in four innings of work. She fanned three and walked one. Sophomore Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla./Strawberry Crest) allowed just one hit and struck out three over the final three innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 (ENC, 4-3)

• Once again the teams had the same number of hits – eight – but Eastern Nazarene was able to edge out the one-run win.
• ENC again took a 4-0 lead before the Judges got on the board. The Lions scored an unearned run in the first when CF Kayleen Garrick came home on an error.
• Clements sparked a three-run fourth inning when she blasted her second home run of the day to left-center field.
• Catcher Haley Viscovitch added an RBI single, while starting pitcher Heidi Gomez scored on a sacrifice fly by Santos to make it a four-run lead.
• Brandeis cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to RBI doubles by Todd and sophomore 3B Brianna Urena (Somerset, Mass./Somerset Berkeley).
• The Judges had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth when junior LF Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y./St. John the Baptist Diocesan) drove in the Judges' third run. Gomez was able to hang on to the lead by getting a pop to shore and fly ball to center.
• Gomez retired six of the seven Brandeis hitters she faced in the final two innings to improve to 5-0 on the season. She gave up eight hits and three earned runs, striking out three and walking one.
• Brandeis sophomore Callie MacDonald (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) took the loss to fall to 2-8 on the season. She gave up five hits and four runs (two earned) in three innings. She walked one and struck out one before giving way to Todd, who allowed three hits in four scoreless frames. Todd fanned three and walked one.

OFFENSIVE STARS

• Lehtonen was the top hitter for the Judges, going 4-6 with two walks, two doubles and two runs scored over the course of the two games. She raised her team-leading batting average to .422 on the season.
• 2B Marysa Massoia (Feeding Hills, Mass./Suffield Academy) was 3-7 on the day.
• Clements was the top offensive star for ENC, going 3-7 with four RBI, two runs scored and two home runs in the DH.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis takes on Wellesley for a pair of contests tomorrow before traveling to NYU over the weekend for a four-game University Athletic Association series.