WALTHAM, Mass. - The Brandeis baseball team fell back below the .500 mark today with an 8-2 loss at the hands of MIT on Stein Diamond.
MIT (9-6) had five players collect two or more hits. Senior LF David Nole (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) led the way, going 3-4 with a team-high three runs scored. Sophomore CF Brian Doyle (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) was 2-5 with two runs, two RBI and two stolen bases out of the lead-off spot, while rookie SS Brian Macomber (Los Altos, Calif./Los Altos) was 2-4 with two RBI out of the nine-hole. The Engineers had six stolen bases in seven attempts and hit 7-15 with runners in scoring position to earn their first win over Brandeis since 1993, a span of 13 meetings.
On the hill, MIT rookie pitcher Torre Swanson (Redding, Calif./Foothill) scattered five hits over six innings of work, followed by three hitless innings by sophomore Ryan Munoz (Plantation, Fla./Pine Crest School),. Swanson improved to 2-0 on the season. He struck out three, fanning the side in the second inning, and avoided trouble in the bottom of the first by starting a 1-6-3 double play.
Brandeis (10-11) had just one multiple hitter on the day, as rookie 3B Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx Science) reached base in all four plate appearances, going 2-2 with two walks and a run scored. Senior LF Mike Alfego (Shrewsbury, Mass./St. Johns) recorded the Judges' only extra-base hit with a double, scoring the team's second run in the sixth inning. Junior Kyle Ritchie (Brewster, Mass./Nauset Reg.) fell to 1-2 on the season by allowing seven runs (five earned) in 5.1 innings. He gave up eight hits, struck out three and walked one.
MIT opened the scoring with three runs on three hits and two Brandeis errors in the second inning. They added two more on three singles in the fourth and closed their scoring with three in the sixth, also on three singles. Brandeis's single runs came in the fourth and the sixth innings.
The Judges are next in action on April 2 at 3:00 p.m. against Fitchburg State, while MIT is at WPI for a NEWMAC contest the same day at 3:30 p.m.
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