SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Brandeis baseball team suffered its second-straight setback by a 4-1 score, falling to Western New England College in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. The second contest was called off because of rain.
Brandeis (11-16) got off to a quick start, scoring in the top of the first. Sophomore SS Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) led off with a single and moved to second when rookie 3B Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx Science) was hit by a pitch. Junior DH Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) bunted the runners to second and third, and junior 2B Jon O'Brion (Portland, Maine/Portland) singled home the first run of the game. Unfortunately for the Judges, WNEC sophomore Evan Michaud induced a double-play ball to get out of the inning and was able to stay out of trouble the rest of the way, allowing just four more Brandeis baserunners.
WNEC (17-10) went on to score four runs off Brandeis junior Kyle Ritchie (Brewster, Mass./Nauset Reg.) on wild pitches. That included two unearned runs in the bottom of the first and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Ritchie allowed just four hits in 5.2 innings of work. Two of his four runs allowed were unearned, and he walked five and struck out four. Because of rain, the second game of the scheduled doubleheader was called off. A make-up date is not yet available.
The Judges open a three-game homestand on Wednesday afternoon against WPI at 3:30 p.m.