NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Brandeis University softball team lost two close University Athletic Association games to rival New York University on Saturday, falling in the first, 6-3, and in the second, 7-5. The Judges are now 9-17 (2-10 UAA) on the season, while the Violets are 17-13 (4-4 UAA).
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 (NYU, 6-3)
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Senior Amanda Shore (San Jose, Calif. / Archbishop Mitty) put Brandeis ahead early, hitting a one-out RBI single in the first inning to bring home junior Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn. / Plainfield).
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NYU responded an inning later, as Ashley Mains followed up a Caroline Saccacio triple with a sacrifice fly.
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The Judges went right back ahead in the top of the third, scoring two runs to take a 3-1 lead. After Lehtonen was hit by a pitch and freshman Melissa Rothenberg (Lawrenceville, N.J. / Lawrence) hit a bunt single, Shore singled to bring home Lehtonen. After a groundout, Shore scored on a fielder's choice that saw Rothenberg tagged out in a rundown ahead of her.
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The Violets got a run back in the fourth, as Saccacio, Mains, and Mary Tindall singled in succession to make the score 3-2.
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NYU grabbed the lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs to go-ahead by three. Saccacio singled to lead off the inning, and two batter later Claire Stefanelli hit a triple to bring home pinch-runner Honor Sankey with the tying-run. Tindall then hit a sacrifice fly to score Stefanelli and go-ahead, 4-3. The Violets then created another rally, as Diana King hit the third NYU triple of the game, scoring two runs.
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The Violets put Brandeis down in order in the seventh to secure the victory.
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Shore had the most impressive day at the plate for the Judges, going 2-for-4 with two RBI singles and a run scored.
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For NYU, Saccacio had a game-high three hits and scored two runs. King had two hits and two RBIs.
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The Violets' Scarlett Murphy threw a complete game, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk, while striking out four. She is now 5-3 for the season.
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Todd also pitched a complete game, allowing six runs (four earned) over six innings, also striking out four. She is now 5-6 for the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 (NYU, 7-5)
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The Judges got things started in a big way in the top of the first, scoring three runs. Lehtonen and Rothenberg were both hit by a pitch, and then Shore singled to load the bases with no one out. After a fielder's choice and a pop out, sophomore Brianna Urena (Somerset, Mass. / Somerset Berkley Regional) earned the third Brandeis hit-by-pitch of the inning, forcing in a run. After an error brought in another run, sophomore PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H. / Sanborn Regional) singled through the left side to bring in the third run of the inning.
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NYU got one run back in the bottom of the frame, as Saccacio singled with two outs and Mains doubled her home. In the second, Tindall hit her fourth home run of the season to cut the Brandeis lead to one.
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Brandeis got those two runs back in the fourth, going ahead 5-2. After Lehtonen doubled and was sacrificed over, Shore drove her in on a fielder's choice. Junior Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y. / St. John the Baptist Diocesan) then doubled, and Urena brought Shore home with a single through the left side.
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In the bottom of the frame, Mains hit her third home run of the year, cutting the lead to 5-3.
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The Violets did it in the sixth again, scoring four runs to go ahead, 7-5. After two walks and a groundout that moved the runners over to start the inning, Sage Scheiwiller hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home one run. Morgan Clemens followed up with a single, scoring the tying run. King then hit her second triple of the day, scoring Clemens, and came home herself on Jacqueline Finn's single to center.
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The Judges went down in order in the seventh.
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The first eight Brandeis hitters in the order all had a hit today; Lehtonen had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
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NYU's Karissa Zubulake came on in relief with just one out in the first inning and pitched the rest of the game, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out four. She is now 6-2 on the year.
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Sophomore Callie MacDonald (Hanover, Mass. / Hanover) took the loss, falling to 3-10.
UP NEXT
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The Judges are back in action on Tuesday, April 24, traveling to rival Babson for a doubleheader beginning at 3 PM.
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NYU also has a non-conference away doubleheader on Tuesday, as the Violets will take on intra-city rival Hunter College in a doubleheader starting at 3 PM.
--Corey Cohen