PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island College sophomore Gary Levesque (E. Providence, R.I./E. Providence) outdueled Brandeis sophomore Justin Duncombe (Canyon Country, Calif./Canyon) today, as the Anchormen topped the Judges, 2-1, in Providence.
Lefty Duncombe allowed just two hits and one unearned run in six innings of work, as he struck out four and walked two in a no-decision. Levesque was even better, scattering six hits and fanning seven while walking one in eight innings as he improved to 2-0 on the season.
RIC (8-2) opened the scoring in the second inning. Duncombe hit junior 1B Tim Schlabowski (Pascoag, R.I./Burrillville) to open the frame. Rhode Island senior RF B.J. Doyon (Douglas, Mass./Douglas) followed with a single to left field, and an over-run in the outfield allowed Schlabowski to score all the way from first.
Brandeis (5-8) put runners on base in the third through fifth innings, but didn't break through until the seventh. With two away, sophomore 1B Pat Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass./Walpole) singled and scored from first on a double down the line by junior RF John O'Brion (Portland, Maine/Portland) to tie the game.
The Anchormen answered in the bottom of the seventh against the Brandeis bullpen without benefit of a hit. Against sophomore reliever John McGrath (New York, N.Y./Trevor Day), senior SS Josh Cardoso (Dartmouth, Mass./Greater New Bedford) was hit by a pitch to start the inning. He stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Judge sophomore Nick Pollack (Brooklyn, N.Y./Berkeley Carroll School) was then called on to get out of the jam. Pollack retired the first batter he faced on a come-backer to the mound, but Doyon came through with a sacrifice fly for what proved to be the game-winning run.
Pollack danced around two RIC hits in bottom of the eighth, giving the Judges a chance in the ninth. Junior DH Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) singled to open the frame and moved to second on an error, but was picked off for the first out. That proved costly, as sophomore catcher Zach Wooley (Argyle, Texas/Jesuit College Prep) singled two batters later, but Anchormen senior Eric Fama (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./New Rochelle) got the final out for the save.
The Judges fell despite a pair of multi-hit performances. O'Brion went 3-3 with an RBI and two doubles, the only two extra-base hits of the game. Livada went 2-4, the game's only other multiple hitter, as RIC had just four hits combined, but took advantage of two walks and two hit batsmen.
Brandeis is next in action tomorrow against Rochester Institute of Technology in a noon doubleheader.