WALTHAM, Mass. - The Brandeis baseball team won a thrilling back-and-forth game, 11-9, against visiting NYU this afternoon. The Judges improve to 12-15-1, while the Violets fall to 12-16.

Rookie second baseman Ben Bavly (Newton, Mass./ Newton South) drilled a game-winning two-run homer to right field, and starting right fielder Ryan Healy Carlsbad, Calif. / La Costa Canyon) pitched 1 ⅔ innings of relief to earn the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• NYU opened up the scoring in the first inning on a single to center field with runners on second and third base, but senior centerfielder Liam O'Connor (Avon, Conn./ Avon) mitigated the damage by throwing out the runner trying to score from second.

• Brandeis got on the board in the second, taking a 2-1 lead on three hits.

• The Violets got three runs back in the top of the third on four hits, but the Judges responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 4.

• NYU retook the lead with a run in the fourth inning, and added two more in the fifth, taking a 7-4 lead.

• The Judges rallied to score four runs in the sixth and take an 8-7 lead. O'Connor drove in a run with a single to left field, and Bavly followed with an RBI double that moved O'Connor to third base. Then, a wild pitch, coupled with the catcher's errant throw to third base, allowed both O'Connor and Bavly to score.

• The lead was short-lived, however, as NYU scored two runs on a fielder's choice, followed by a Brandeis error, in the bottom of the seventh.

• In the top on the eighth, with runners on first and second base, Healy came to the mound and on his first pitch induced a ground-ball double play to escape NYU's threat.

• The Judges rallied again in the bottom of the eighth. O'Connor tied the game with a RBI double, before Bavly's deep home run to right field put Brandeis up 11-9.

• Healy closed the door on the Violets, striking out the side in the top of the ninth inning.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• O'Connor was 4-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI, while raising his team-leading average to .418.

• Bavly finished 3-5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI. The homer was his third of the year, which now leads the team.

• Senior catcher Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn. / Avon Old Farms) went 2-4 with two doubles and two RBI.

• Nine of the Judges' 13 hits were for extra bases.

• Seven of the Brandeis starters had a hit, and junior infielder Jay Schaff (Cheshire, Conn. / Xavier) drew two walks.

• Colman Hendershot was the biggest hitter for NYU, going 4-6 with a double, run scored and four RBI.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will travel to face Worcester State on Tuesday, April 19 at 3:00 PM.

• They return home to face Eastern Connecticut State  on Wednesday at 3:30 PM.

  
  

  by Emmett Greenberg '16