SANFORD, Fla. - The Brandeis University baseball team dropped the 2010 University Athletic Association opener today, 7-1, against Emory University at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium.
Emory (8-6, 1-0 UAA) opened the scoring in the top of the first with an unearned run against Brandeis senior Drew Brzozowski (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) when senior RF Dan Molnar (Long Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) drew a bases-loaded walk with two out.
Brandeis (1-4, 0-1 UAA) answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore SS Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) led off with a single to centerfield and stole second. After a walk and an error loaded the bases, senior DH Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) knotted the score with a grounder to second, but the Judges could not push across another run against Emory senior Matthew Katten (Plainview, N.Y./Plainview JFK).
Unfortunately for the Judges, Katten settled down after the first, allowing just two base-runners between the second and sixth innings. Meanwhile, the Eagles got a pair of two-run home runs from junior DH Patrick Riebsame (Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne Central Catholic), one in the third off Brzozowski and one in the seventh off senior Nick Pollack (Brooklyn, N.Y./Berkley Carroll School). The latter gave EU a 6-1 lead.
Brandeis threatened in the bottom of the seventh on a walk by senior 2B John O'Brion (Portland, Maine/Portland) and a single by rookie CF Nick Cortese (Guaynabo, P.R./Baldwin School of Puerto Rico), but couldn't push anything home. The Judges also put two runners on with one out in the eighth, but an Emory double play ended the threat. The Eagles tacked on an additional run in the ninth for the 7-1 final
Cortese was the offensive star for Brandeis, going 2-for-3 with a double. Brzozowski suffered the loss, giving up five hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings of work. He struck out four and walked two, falling to 0-3 on the season.
In addition to Riebsame, who finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored thanks to his two home runs, Molnar went 3-for-4 with two RBI, a double and run scored. Sophomore 2B Kevin O'Connor (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) and junior 3B Andy Cohn (Marietta, GA/Alan C. Pope) each had two hits and two runs scored. Katten went eight innings, allowing five hits and just the one unearned run to improve to 2-1 on the season. He struck out five and walked two.
The Judges play two UAA games tomorrow, taking on Washington University at 10 a.m. and Case Western Reserve University at 2:30 p.m.