SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Brandeis baseball team wrapped up its 2010 February break trip to Texas today with a 17-7 loss to Trinity University. The Judges got a two-run home run by senior 2B John O'Brion (Portland, Maine/Portland), but the host Tigers took advantage of five Brandeis errors to score nine unearned runs. With the loss, Brandeis fell to 1-3 on the trip, while Trinity improved to 8-2 with the victory.
Brandeis opened the scoring quickly in the top of the first, as sophomore DH Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx H.S. of Science) and senior 1B Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) both stroked RBI doubles off Tiger starter Michael Panozzo. The Judges still had runners on second and third with just one out, but were unable to push across any more runs.
The inability to stretch the lead cost the visitors in the bottom of the first, as Trinity scored three runs against Brandeis senior Drew Brzozowski (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle). The Tigers had three hits and took advantage of some aggresive throws by the Judge outfield that produced two miscues. 1B Evan Jones had the biggest hit of the frame with an RBI triple as Trinity owned a 3-2 lead after one.
The hosts extended the lead with a big third frame, scoring six runs against Brzozowski, five of which were unearned. The senior righty had a good start to the frame, picking off a TU runner after a leadoff single, but things got away from him after that. 3B Kevin Jackson followed with a triple that sparked the big inning and was part of a 4-for-5 day with four runs scored and a home run to go with the three-bagger. Catcher Kyle Felix followed with an RBI single, and stole second, but an error to the next batter opened the floodgates, allowing Felix to score to push the lead to 5-2. After a walk and a double steal, Brzozowski got a strikeout that might have gotten him out of the inning, but Kevin Calbick, last night's losing pitcher, bounced back with a two-run double, followed by a two-run home run by CF Dylan Early.
The Judges got two runs back in the top of the fourth when Livada was hit by a pitch to start the frame. O'Brion followed with his first home run of the season and the 12th of his career, going deep to left. Rookie RF Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) answered with a single, hit first collegiate hit, but was erased on a double play. Trinity negated one of those runs when Jackson greeted rookie Stefan Weiss (Jericho, N.Y./Jericho) with a one-out home run.
The Tigers added four unearned runs in the sixth and three more runs in the seventh, highlighted by DH Dominic Robusto's two-run home run. Brandeis struck for three runs of their own in the top of the ninth, as junior 3B Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) plated sophomore SS Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Acad.), who had doubled. Junior catcher Zach Wooley (Argyle, Texas/Jesuit Catholic Prep.) rounded out the scoring in front of his hometown crowd with a two-run single.
Brzozowski suffered his second loss of the season, giving up nine runs (four earned) on nine hits in 3.1 innings. Trinity's Michael Panozzo earned his third win of the season with six innings of seven-hit ball, giving up four runs and striking out seven without issuing a walk.
Brandeis is now off until March when they participate in the University Athletic Association championships in Sanford, Florida.