WALTHAM, Mass.- The Brandeis baseball team traveled to MIT for a nonconference contest in nearby Cambridge, Mass. Unfortunately, a big six-run fifth inning broke a 1-1 tie and allowed the Engineers to pull away from the Judges. Brandeis got a hit from eight different players while junior 1B Pat Seaward (York, Maine/ York) and senior LF Zach Malis (Merrick, N.Y./ Bellmore John F. Kennedy) each had 2-4 afternoons but they could only muster two runs in the 9-2 loss. The Judges drop to 5-21 on the year as MIT improves to 10-10.
Brandeis struck first in the top of the fourth when rookie SS Brian Allen (Salem, N.H./ Central Catholic) led off with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error by the Engineers' centerfielder. Graduate student DH Pat Nicholson (Walpole, Mass./ Walpole) followed with a groundout to the pitcher, moving Allen to third, and Seaward singled Allen home for the 1-0 advantage. MIT responded in the bottom of the frame with a double by sophomore RF Creed Mangrum (Sandy, Utah/ Brighton) and an RBI single from junior 1B Ricardo Perez (Vienna, Va./ James Madison) to tie the game. Still, it was the fifth inning that did the most damage when the Engineers got to senior starter Alex Tynan (Barnegat, N.J./ Barnegat) by netting four consecutive hits and three runs to gain the 4-1 advantage. Tynan was charged for one more run in the inning when rookie Brent Edmunds (No. Hampton, N.H./ Winnacunnet) came on and MIT stretched their lead to 7-1.
The Judges would score once more in the contest when Nicholson led off the sixth with a double. Four batters later, senior RF Joe Galli (Wakefield, Mass./ Wakefield Memorial) drove Nicholson home with a single to center field but Brandeis would get no closer. Galli and Seaward each led the Judges with an RBI while Allen and Nicholson led the team with one run scored apiece. Junior CF Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./ Walpole) returned to the field after missing 11 games with an injury and went 1-for-2. Tynan was tagged with the loss after 4.2 innings. Sophomore Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./ Sandwich) and junior Dylan Britton (Poughquag, N.Y./ Arlington) each pitched one shutout inning in relief.
The Engineers featured nine players who compiled a hit, eight players who scored a run, and six who earned an RBI. They were led by rookie 3B Parker Tew (Chapel Hill, N.C./ East Chapel Hill) who went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI while Perez tied for the team lead with his two RBI afternoon. Rookie starter K.J. Parent (Knoxville, Tenn./ Web School) improved to 2-0 on the year as a starter by scattering 10 hits over 5.2 innings while allowing two earned runs.
Brandeis returns to action tomorrow, April 5th, for a 3:30 p.m. game at Rhode Island College. MIT travels to play Springfield College on Friday April 6th.