Brenner shuts down Salem State, 8-2

Rob Trenk '15 (Photo by Sportspix)
Rob Trenk '15 (Photo by Sportspix)

SALEM, Mass. (courtesy Salem State Sports Information) -- Brandeis junior Kyle Brenner (Brookfield, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) pitched eight strong innings, scattering eight hits, with two strikeouts to lead the Judges to an 8-2 victory over the Salem State Vikings at the Central Campus Baseball Field on Monday afternoon. The win improves Brenner to 2-1 on the year, and raises Brandeis to 7-8 on the year, while the loss gives Salem State and 6-9 record.

Junior Rob Trenk (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and sophomore Liam O'Connor (Avon, Conn./Avon) led the Judges' offense, going a combined 6-for-7 with six runs scored. After hitting a double and being bunted over to third, Trenk scored on a fielder's choice to make it 1-0 Judges in the second. O'Connor scored the second Brandeis run on a fielder's choice by senior Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) in the fourth to increase the Judges lead to 2-0.

Salem State got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Kyle McElroy (Newburyport, Mass.) knocked in Richard Fecteau (Newbury, Mass.), who had led off the inning with a double. Matt Turmenne (Lynn, Mass.) came on in relief for the Vikings, replacing starter Ryan Hyjek (Tolland, Conn.) in the fifth. However, Brandeis opened the game up with a three-run inning with all of the damage coming with two outs. O'Conner doubled in the first run, and sophomore Max Hart (Montville, Conn./Montville) added a two-run single as the Judges built a 5-1 lead.

Rookie Greg Heineman (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) knocked in junior Tom McCarthy (Yonkers, N.Y./Fieldston School) with an RBI triple in the sixth, before Ryan Beliveau (Gloucester, Mass.) drove in McELroy to make it 6-2 in the bottom frame. Brendan DeLerie (Lynn, Mass.) replaced Turmenne in the eighth after Turmenne went two innings and allowed four hits and four runs. Brandeis added two more runs in the seventh, before Ben Kendrew (Lynnfield, Mass.) closed out the ninth for Salem State without allowing a run.

Sophomore transfer Ryan Healey (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) entered in the ninth and retired the side in order to preserve the 8-2 victory for the Judges.

Hyjek (Tolland, CT) took the loss to go to 2-1 on the year, after allowing two runs and two walks with a strikeout. Fecteau added two doubles, while Alex Toomey (Beverly, MA) and Beliveau each had two hits apiece for the Vikings.

Salem State's next game will be on the Wednesday against Suffolk University at 3:30PM. Brandeis's home game against Western New England College scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed.