WHITTIER, Calif. – The Brandeis University softball team rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning fo a 3-2 win in Game One of a doubleheader today, then got a pair of home runs from graduate student Melissa Rothenberg (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) to provide all of the offense in a 5-2 Game Two victory as the Judges took a pair from host Whittier College today. With the win, the 22nd-ranked Judges improve to 5-1 on the season, while the Poets fall to 3-3.
In the opener, the Judges played as the home team. Both squads scored a run in the second inning, with Whittier 1B Emily Adkison singling home pinch runner Jocelyn Signoretti, who had stolen second a batter earlier. In the bottom of the frame, Judge senior LF Amidori Anderson (Sparks, Nev./Spanish River) stroked a solo home run to left field, her first of the season and the second of her career.
The Poet took the lead in the fourth inning when RF Sofia Paniagua took starter Sydney Goldman (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame) deep to left. Whitter pitcher Jamie Garvey looked to be in control, allowing just two base runners between the third and sixth innings, one of which was erased on a double play. In the seventh, however, the Judges rallied for the victory. Rothenberg led off the frame with a double to right-centerfield. Sophomore 3B Haley Nash (Delmar, N.Y. / Bethlehem Central) tried to move her into scoring position, hitting the ball back to the pitcher, but Garvey's throw to first went awry, allowing Rothenberg to score the tying run and allowing Nash to reach third. Anderson followed with a single to left-center to give the Judges the walk-off win. Sophomore Alex Cohen (West Palm Beach, Fla. / The Benjamin School) tossed 3.2 innings of shutout and two-hit ball to earn the win. She struck out four and walked one to improve to 2-0 on the season.
In the second contest, Rothenberg was the offensive star, providing all of the offense with a pair of home runs. After a scoreless first four innings, senior 2B Marley Felder (Miami, Fla / American Heritage) hit a two-out single and stole second. Rothenberg followed and took Whittier starter Katelyn Calvetti deep to centerfield for her second home run of the season.
The Poets cut into the Brandeis lead in the sixth. They had runners on the corners with one away when Adkison's grounder to second plated LF Brianna MaGee. Sophomore Rebecca Guerci (Roslyn, N.Y. / Herricks) got the final out on another grounder to keep the Judges' lead at 2-1.
In the seventh, Rothenberg gave the Judges some breathing room with a three-run home run to left-centerfield off of reliever Riley Garcia. It was her third homer of the season and the 10th of her career. It marked her first career two-homer game, while her five RBI are a career-best. Three of her 10 career homers have come against Whittier, as she also hit one against the Poets in the abbreviated 2019-20 season.
Whittier scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to make for the final 5-2 score. Junior Chandra Penton (Newton, Mass. / Newton South) earned her first collegiate win with 4.2 innings of strong work in the circle, allowing just two hits with no walks or strikeouts, hitting one batter. Guerci threw 1.1 innings of relief, allowing three hits and a run, while Cohen finished the final inning, allowing two hits, one unearned run and one strikeout. Whittier's Katelyn Calvetti took the loss despite striking out 10 and walking just one over 6.2 innings. She gave up seven hits and two earned runs.
In addition to Rothenberg's two home runs, Felder had three hits and scored two runs, while Nash and Anderson each hit doubles.
The Judges will wrap up their West Coast swing on Saturday afternoon with two games at the University of Redlands at 1 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Pacific).