WALTHAM, Mass. – Visiting Framingham State University picked up a doubleheader sweep of the host Brandeis University baseball team today, winning the opener 18-3 and the second game, 4-0. The Rams even their record at 7-7, while the Judges also move to .500 at 10-10.
In the opener, Framingham got on the board early, scoring four runs in the first inning. Junior SS Christopher Blydell (Lynn, Mass./Swampscott) hit a home run to open up scoring on the team's first at bat. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, rookie CF Matthew Roberge (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) scored on a wild pitch. Senior LF Corey Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) was batted in by 1B Justin Forman (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) on a ground out and sophomore RF William Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass./Marian) scored an unearned run.
The Judges scored their only runs in the bottom of the first. Junior 2B Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Reg.) was walked and junior 3b Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx High School of Science) singled through the right side to advance the runner to second. With two on, sophomore catcher Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) hit a single to center field, advancing to second on an error and bringing in O'Hare for the RBI. Senior DH Pat Nicholson (E. Walpole, Mass./Walpole) brought Ferro and Chu home on an error, making the score 4-3.
The Rams had another big inning in the second, scoring four more runs. With two runners on, Roberge tripled to right center for 2 RBI. Framingham picked up two more runs on singles from Ketterer and Crofton to own a four-run lead. In the bottom of the fifth, the Rams made their biggest inning of the game, scoring six runs on six hits, including a 3-run homerun from 3B Daniel Chaisson (Watertown, Mass./Watertown). Chaisson would add another 3-run bomb in the sixth.
The Judges were kept to just five hits over the last six innings. Ferro and rookie LF Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) were the only Brandeis players with multiple hits, earning two each.
On the mound, sophomore Dylan Britton (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) (1-2) earned the loss for the Judges, allowing seven hits and eight runs. Sophomore Stefan Weiss (Jericho, N.Y./Jericho) pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing five hits and three runs.
The Rams were led by Chaisson, who had two home runs and 6 RBI. Roberge had three hits, including a triple, and 3 RBI, while Ketterer three hits and 2 RBI. Ryan Stoller (Milton, Mass./Milton) earned the win on the mound, pitching six innings, allowing just six hits, three runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out two and walked two.
In the second game, the story was FSU senior hurler Tommy Lindberg (Stratford, Conn./Shelton), who tossed a complete-game one-hitter to improve to 3-0 on the season. Lindberg struck out three and walked one. He allowed just three base-runners and faced two batters over the minimum.
Brandeis senior Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) opened the bottom of the first with a single, but was erased on a double play. Lindberg retired the rest of the Brandeis order before Deshler reached on an error to start the fourth. Deshler stole second and moved to third on a groundout, but Lindberg struck out the next to batters to preserve the shutout. Brandeis's final runner was sophomore CF Nick Cortese (Guaynabo, P.R./Baldwin School of Puerto Rico), who walked with two out in the fifth, but Lindberg got the final seven outs in a row for his first complete game of the season.
Framingham State got all the scoring they would need with two runs on just one hit in the top of the first. With one out, Crofton walked and Ketterer doubled. The game's first run scored on a passed ball, while an error at third base allowed the second run to come home. The Rams had hits in every inning, but didn't get back on the scoreboard until the fifth on an RBI single by senior 1B Joe Sheehan (Burlington, Mass./Burlington). Blydell added an RBI double in the sixth to close out the scoring.
Eight of the nine FSU starters had hits, with Ketterer being the only multiple hitter, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Four of the nine Ram hits were two-baggers, with Blydell, senior catcher Sean Callahan (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) and senior 2B Daniel Tomasz (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) also getting doubles.
Brandeis rookie Colin Markel (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale) suffered the loss, going 4.2 innings and allowing seven hits and three runs (one earned). He struck out two and walked two. Four Brandeis relievers held the Rams to just two hits and one run over the final 2.1 innings.
The Judges are off until they take on Suffolk University at home on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m., while Framingham State is at UMass Dartmouth the same day at 3:30 p.m.