PAXTON, Mass. – The Brandeis University softball team pounded out 31 hits, 11 for extra bases, and scored 23 runs, as the Judges swept Anna Maria College, 7-1 and 16-4, on the road today. With the wins, the Judges improve to 4-0 on the season, while the AMCats fall to 3-11.

In the opener, the Judges posted a pair of three-run innings. In the third, junior 3B Marley Felder (Miami, Fla / American Heritage) opened the scoring with a single, and rookie catcher Haley Nash (Delmar, N.Y. / Bethlehem Central) followed with what proved to be the game-winning RBI on another single up the middle. Rookie DP Alex Cohen (West Palm Beach, Fla. / The Benjamin School) delivered a sacrifice fly for the third run of the frame.

Brandeis doubled its lead in the fourth on a three-run home run to centerfield by senior CF Melissa Rothenberg (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence). It was the team's first home run of the season and Rothenberg's fifth of her career. Classmate SS Jolie Fujita (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) closed out the Judges' scoring in the sixth with a blast to right-centerfield. It was her first of the campaign and the seventh of her career.

Meanwhile, in the circle, junior Sydney Goldman (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame), was outstanding in the circle, if not quite as dominating as in her first outing of the season. She retired the first seven AMCats in a row, extending her streak of perfection to 7.1 innings, before surrendering a single on a ball hit right back at her by Hailey Shaw in the third. Anna Maria got runners on in each of the next two innings before breaking through with the first run scored on Goldman this season. The hosts opened the sixth inning with singles to third base and centerfield before 1B Ashley Garcia executed a squeeze play to drive in CF Shay Savoie. Goldman retired the last five batters she faced to improve to 2-0 on the season. She struck out 11 and did not walk a batter, though she did hit one. Goldman gave up three hits and one earned run.

All nine Brandeis starters had hits in the opener, with Fujita and sophomore catcher Tara Striggow (Cape Coral, Fla. / Cape Coral) each registering two. Fujita added a double to her home run, and Cohen had a triple.

In the nightcap, Brandeis scored runs in each of their seven at-bats, belting out 20 hits and scoring 16 runs in the win. After an RBI single by Fujita, who scored on a Cohen double, Brandeis led 2-0 after one. Sophomore Lily Medici (New City, N.Y. / Clarkstown North) plated a run in the second to give the Judges a 3-0 lead.

In the third, Anna Maria scored four times to put Brandeis in a deficit for the first time this season. None of the runs were earned thanks to a dropped ball early in the frame. AMC got an RBI double from 2B Michelle Cilley, a bases-loaded HBP issued to catcher Kyleigh Campbell, and a two-run single by 3B Kiara Edmonds that made it 4-3, AMCats, after three innings.

Brandeis wasted no time in regaining the lead, as Rothenberg belted a two-run single in the fourth. The Judges added crooked numbers in the final three frames as well, with Nash delivering the two big blows: an RBI double in the sixth and a grand slam in the seventh. It was her first collegiate home run and made the game 16-4.

After giving up the one big inning, Brandeis rookie hurler Rebecca Guerci (Roslyn, N.Y. / Herricks) settled down, not allowing a hit after the third. Though AMC had runners because of errors and hit batters, Guerci helped her own cause with some nice defensive plays, including starting a double play in the sixth after a miscue. Guerci earned her first collegiate win with seven innings of four-hit ball. None of her four runs were earned, and she struck out four with no walks and two hit batters.

In addition to Nash's big game (2-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R), Brandeis also got big offensive outings in game two from Rothenberg (4-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB), Cohen (3-5, 2 2B, RBI, R) and sophomore 1B Jamie Pippin (Redmond, Wash. / Lake Washington) (3-4, 2B, 3 R).

The Judges' unbeaten record will be put to the test over the weekend when they meet #24-ranked Framingham State University on Saturday and Sunday. The teams will play in Framingham on April 17 and in Waltham on April 18.