CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (courtesy MIT sports info) – Seniors Rocco Toppi (Portland, Maine) and Tyler Robinson (Manotick, Ont.) combined for a three-hit shutout as Brandeis pitched its way to a 2-0 victory over the Engineers at Briggs Field on Tuesday. The loss negated a terrific performance by MIT’s cast of arms, which endured the defeat despite allowing no earned runs.

Toppi was superb in picking up his third win of the season for Brandeis (8-4). The right-handed senior tossed five scoreless innings while scattering two singles and registering five strikeouts.

MIT (7-8) starter Kyle Adkins delivered a solid effort as well, although he shouldered the loss after yielding an unearned run in the third. With one out in the frame, senior CF Chuck Sheehan (Lexington, Mass.) reached first on an errant throw to first on a bunt attempt. Sheehan moved himself into scoring position with great base running before crossing the plate on a wild pitch.

Robinson took over for the Judges in the sixth and proved just as dominant. He finished with six strikeouts while surrendering one hit and two walks.

Brandeis extended its lead in the eighth as senior SS Malcolm Cone-Coleman (Portland, Maine) scraped out a tough infield single down the third-base line to plate sophomore 1B Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), although two MIT errors during the inning proved costly before the two-out knock.

After two quick outs, the Engineers loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth but were unable to capitalize on their best opportunity of the day. Brandeis stranded 10 runners during the tilt while MIT left eight on base.

Junior Matt Loper provided two perfect innings in relief of Adkins with two strikeouts and senior Mike Vasquez pitched a 1-2-3 frame in the ninth. Stephen Toth pitched the remaining three innings, allowing three hits and the afternoon’s second unearned score.

Seven batters combined for seven hits on the day.