SANFORD, Fla. -- The Brandeis University baseball team dropped its second-straight game at the 2012 University Athletic Association tournament today, bowing to Washington University, 14-2, in a game shortened to seven innings. The Judges dip under .500 to 4-5, 0-2 UAA, while the Bears improve to 9-3, 2-0 UAA.

WashU got to Brandeis rookie starter Kyle Brenner (Brookfield, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) for three runs in the first inning, all coming with two out. With runners on second and third and one away, Brenner got a strikeout for the second out, but Bear DH Andrew Dwoskin answered with a two-run double down the left-field line, followed by an RBI single by catcher David Madson that proved to be the game-winning run.

The Judges got two runs back in the third inning and nearly tied the game. After Washington starter Matt Tracy got the first two outs on foul pops, senior catcher Kenny Destremps (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee) singled and junior CF Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) walked. Grad student 1B Pat Nicholson (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) followed with a single to shortstop that produced one run when the ball was thrown away, while rookie DH Dan Gad (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) singled in the second run. Unfortunately for the Judges, Nicholson was gunned down at the plate trying to tie the contest, ending the inning.

WashU put the game away with four runs, only two of which were earned, in the fifth inning, a rare frame that featured three sacrifices thanks to a throwing error on a bunt. They added seven more in the seventh, when 11 Bears came to the plate. The big blow in that frame was a bases-loaded double by CF Kyle Billig.

Brandeis had a trio of batters account for six of their seven hits. Destremps was 2-for-2 with a run scored, while Gad was also 2-for-2 with the team's only RBI on the day. Senior RF Zach Malis (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore J.F.K.) went 2-for-3. Brenner suffered his first loss of the season by allowing seven runs (five earned) in five innings of work after tossing complete game victories in his first two contests in February.

Brandeis is back in action at the UAA tournament with a game against Rochester tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. and a rematch with Emory University, who won 6-0 in the first game between the two squads, at 6 p.m.