NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team picked up its first win of the season in a doubleheader split Saturday, taking the first game over the Bowdoin Polar Bears, 8-3, and dropping the second one, 12-9. The games, which were played at the New England Baseball Complex, were the first Brandeis home games of the season. The Judges move to 1-3 in 2018, while Bowdoin is now 1-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME ONE (Brandeis 8, Bowdoin 3)

• Brandeis grabbed a big lead early, scoring three runs in the first inning and two more in the second.

• The freshmen owned the first inning for the Judges. Rookie Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass. / Milton Academy) got things started with a two-out, two-run double that scored classmates Darren Bates (Jamestown, R.I. / Columbus Academy) and Mike Khoury (East Bridgewater, Mass. / East Bridgewater), both of whom reached base via hit-by-pitch. Fossas immediately scored on a single to right field by freshman Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass. / St. John's Prep.).

• Freshman Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass. / Georgetown) got things going for Brandeis again in the second with a leadoff ground-rule double, later scoring on a single by classmate Scott Ziegler (Avon, Conn. / Avon Old Farms). Sophomore stalwart Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif. / Chaminade) tacked on the fifth run with a sacrifice fly.

• After sophomore starter Tim Lopez (Brooklyn, N.Y. / East Side Community) had to leave the game after just 0.1 innings due to injury, freshman Mason Newman (New Rochelle, N.Y. / New Rochelle) came in and shut down the Polar Bears, allowing just two hits and one walk over 4.2 stellar innings, striking out seven in the process.

• After the Judges stretched their lead to six after five innings, Bowdoin freshman Matt Nakamoto came up for his first collegiate at-bat with one on and two out and put one over the fence in left to cut the Brandeis lead to 6-2.

• The Judges were able to answer back with a two-run home run of their own, when Khoury went deep to center field to move the lead back to six.

• The Polar Bears made things dicey in the seventh, loading the bases with no one out, but sophomore Kyle Shedden (Spencer, Mass. / David Prouty) was able to shut the door with only one run scoring, as Brandeis took it by a final score of 8-3.

• Newman earned the win, the first of his college career, and moved to 1-0 on the season. Bowdoin senior Max Vogel-Freedman was tagged with the loss, and he is now 0-1 in 2018.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME TWO (Bowdoin 12, Brandeis 9)

• In the second end of the twin bill, it was Bowdoin's turn to get things started early, scoring six runs in its half of the first, on the strength of two home runs. After Brandon Lopez drove in the first run on an RBI single, Ejazz Jiu turned on one and hit it over the left field fence for a three-run home run. Three batters later it was deja vu, as Connor Lee hit one towards the same spot for a two-run homer, making it 6-0.

• The Judges would not go down, without a fight, however. They loaded the bases with no outs, and scored their first run after Bates got hit by a pitch. Fossas then hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Khoury before sophomore Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass. / Lynnfield) hit one through the left side to bring in Oppenheimer. After one inning, it was 6-3.

• Both starters were able to settle down for a while after that. Brandeis sophomore Greg Tobin (Medway, Mass. / Catholic Memorial) spun three scoreless innings, while Bowdoin starter Ben Osterholtz's only blemish in innings two and three was a line drive, opposite field solo home run off the bat of Brandeis rookie Alex Parrott (Nashua, N.H. / Nashua South), cutting the deficit to two.

• Things only got crazier from there, starting with a flurry of Brandeis singles in the bottom of the fourth which drove in three and gave the Judges a 7-6 lead. Oppenheimer, Fossas, and O'Leary each had an RBI single.

• The Polar Bears were able to answer with their own flurry, starting off the top of the fifth with four straight singles, bringing home two runs to regain the lead. Jack Wilhoite then landed a crucial blow with a two-run double down the left-field line, making the score 10-7.

• Again, the Judges would not go away quietly. Freshman Domenick Raphael (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Xaverian) led off with a walk and sophomore Donnie Weisse (Swampscott, Mass. / St. Mary's) quickly followed with a single. Khoury later drove in Raphael, and Weisse scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of freshman Tommy Sand (South Windsor, Conn. / South Windsor), making the score 10-9.

• The Polar Bears added one important insurance run each in the sixth and seventh innings, extending their lead to three.

• As was custom by this point, Brandeis once again fought back. Raphael led off the Judges' last licks with a walk, and Oppenheimer later singled to put the tying run at the plate in Sand. Sand made good contact, but the Bowdoin center fielder was able to run it down for the final out.

• Bowdoin reliever Peter O'Connell received the win, moving to 1-0, with teammate Wilhoite getting his first save. Tobin took the loss, and falls to 0-1.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis is right back at it tomorrow in Northborough, taking on Western New England University at noon.

• Bowdoin heads to Florida on Tuesday for its spring break trip, playing ten games over ten days starting on Wednesday, March 14.

--Corey Cohen