WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University rookie righty Pat
Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass.) tossed eight-and-a-third innings of
four-hit ball today as the Judges blanked visiting UMass-Dartmouth,
6-0, on Stein Diamond. With the win, Brandeis head coach Pete
Varney earned his 600th career victory, becoming the 15th active
Division III coach to reach the milestone and the 28th all-time. He
is the third coach to reach the milestone in Division III this
season, joining Tom Lechnir of Wisconsin-Osh Kosh and Montclair
State's Norm Schoenig. Varney's overall record now stands at
600-360. With the win, the Judges improve to 14-13 this season,
while UMass-Dartmouth falls to 3-26.
Nicholson did not allow a hit through the first
five-and-two-thirds, and the Corsairs never got a runner past
second base. Nicholson struck out six and walked just one,
finishing with four hits allowed before two more Brandeis pitchers
got the final two outs. The shutout was the fourth of the season
for the Judges.
The Judges got all the offense they needed in the fourth inning.
Sophomore 3B Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) singled to short
to lead off the frame and classmate John O'Brion (Portland, Maine)
reached on an error, putting runners on second and third. Sophomore
catcher Artie Posch (Hopedale, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to left
to open the scoring, while Nicholson's grounder to short made it
2-0.
Brandeis doubled its lead in the fifth on an RBI triple by rookie
LF Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass.) and a single by junior 1B Nick
Gallagher (Southboro, Mass.). Posch and senior SS Malcolm
Cone-Coleman (Portland, Maine) had run-producing singles in the
eighth inning to close out the scoring.
The Judges had four multiple hitters, led by Cone-Coleman's 3-4
performance with an RBI and a run scored. Livada was 2-4 with two
runs scored and a double, while Posch was 2-3 with two RBI and one
run scored. Deshler was 2-4 with an RBI, a run and a triple.
For UMass-Dartmouth, rookie Scott Tibbets (Hanover, Mass.)
suffered the loss, going 7.2 innings with two strikeouts and three
walks. He gave up 10 hits and six runs (four earned), falling to
0-3 on the campaign. Rookie 2B Pat McDonough (No. Weymouth, Mass.)
was the Corsairs' only multiple hitter, going 2-4, including UMD's
first hit off Nicholson in the sixth inning. Rookie SS Ryan
McDermott (Pembroke, Mass.) and junior DH Casey Askeland
(Dartmouth, Mass.) had the visitors' other two hits on the day.
Nicholson pitches Brandeis past UMass-Dartmouth, 6-0, as Varney wins No. 600
Posted: Apr 19, 2008