SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Brandeis senior Drew Brzozowski (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) tossed a complete-game three-hitter against Springfield College in the opener of a doubleheader for a 2-1 win and the Judges completed the sweep by taking advantage of six Pride errors to earn a 10-8 victory.
Brzozowski helped the Judges (6-9) take the opener with his first win of the season and his fourth career complete game. The three hits he gave up were his career-low in an outing when he went long enough to get a decision. Brzozowski struck out four and did not walk a batter. His only mistake was a third-inning home run by SC leftfielder Pete Calandra.
The Judges tied the game in the fifth inning, when sophomore SS Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) doubled with one out and scored on an RBI single by rookie LF Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole). An inning later, the Judges scored the winning run when senior 2B John O'Brion (Portland, Maine/Portland) knocked in classmate 1B Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth), who had singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.
That was all that Brzozowski would need. He gave up two of his three hits to lead off the Pride's sixth and seventh innings, but they were unable to push either runner home. O'Hare and sophomore DH Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx H.S. of Science) each had two hits for Brandeis, with O'Hare's two-bagger the only extra-base hit.
In the second contest, Chu continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI to finish 4-for-6 on the day with a double, a sacrifice fly and three runs knocked in. He knocked in the game's first run with a double in the top of the first, as the Judges scored four runs on three hits and two Pride miscues. Livada and senior catcher Artie Posch (Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale) also had RBI in the first. Chu added a run-scoring single in the second to give Brandeis a 5-0 lead.
Springfield got to Brandeis rookie starter Andrew Weissenberg (Demarest, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) for four runs in the bottom of the third. The first four Pride hitters reached base and scored, with the big blow a two-run double from Louie Nucci. Brandeis sophomore righty Alex Tynan (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) allowed three inherited runners to score, but went 3.2 innings with just three more hits, ultimately earning the win.
Brandeis responded to Springfield's four-run outburst with four of their own in the top of the fourth. The Judges needed just one hit to get the job done, as Pride fielders made three errors in the frame. Chu had the only RBI in the fourth on a sacrifice fly.
Nucci tripled and scored in the fifth and drove in a run in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk to cut Brandeis's lead to 10-6. The Pride got a two-run home run from Mike Robilotto in the bottom of the seventh, but Judge senior Kyle Ritchie (Brewster, Mass./Nauset Regional) bounced back with three straight outs to complete the sweep.
The Judges are right back in action tomorrow with two more games, taking on Framingham State in a 12 noon twinbill.