BRUNSWICK, Maine (courtesy Bowdoin College) - The Bowdoin College baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to take a 6-5 victory over Brandeis in a  non-conference game at Pickard Field on Wednesday afternoon. The Polar  Bears improve to 21-16 this season and become the third-winningest team  in school history with their 21st victory on the year. Brandeis, facing an alumnus coach for the third time this season in Bowdoin skipper Mike Connolly '94, fall to 16-22 on  the year.

Brandeis took advantage of a trio of Bowdoin errors to score a three unearned runs in the third inning. Senior RF Mike Alfego (Shrewsbury, Mass./St. Johns) picked up a sacrifice fly  in the frame while junior C Artie Posch (Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale) earned a run-scoring single to give the visitors the early advantage. The Judges extended their lead with a Nick
Gallagher (Southboro, Mass./St. Johns) RBI single in the fourth that made it 4-0 before Bowdoin got  one back in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Jordan Edgett.

Bowdoin rallied to tie the game with three runs in the fifth frame when  Brett Gorman laced an RBI double that plated both Reid Auger and Jason  Koperniak. Joe Berte followed with a run-scoring single to tie the game at 4-4.

Brandeis scored the go-ahead run in the eight inning when a leadoff  single and stolen base by rookie SS Julian Cavin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Beacon School) set up an RBI double by classmate LF John Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx Science), who was thrown out going to third on the play. The lost baserunner would prove costly, as the Polar Bears strung together the winning rally  with one out in the ninth. After Bowdoin's Matt Ruane singled to right  and was replaced by pinch runner Nick Tom, Brett Gorman moved him to  third base with a single. Koperniak tied the game with an RBI single as  Gorman traveled to third on the play. After an intentional walk to Berte that loaded the bases, Jordan Edgett laced the first pitch he saw
through the left side for the game-winning hit.

Sophomore Pat Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass./Walpole) was charged with the loss for Brandeis after scattering 10 hits over 8.1 innings pitched, striking out eight. His complete-game effort was his fourth of the season and the Judges' sixth as a team. Bowdoin's Tim Welch went 8.0 innings, permitting two earned runs and whiffing six before  giving way to reliever Sean Kleier, who struck out the side in the ninth  inning and collected the win when the Polar Bears rallied. Sophomore 3B Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) and Gallagher led Brandeis with two hits apiece. Joe Pace, Gorman and Berte had two hits each for the Polar Bears.

The Judges take on another Brandeis graduate, Eric Podbelski '91 of Wheaton College, on Friday evening at 5:30 in the Judges' second-ever night game at Stein Diamond.