Baseball drops a pair of 8-2 decisions to Bowdoin

Mike Khoury '21 (Photo by Andy Meng)
Mike Khoury '21 (Photo by Andy Meng)

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team fell into early deficits twice today and couldn't climb out of them as the Judges dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Bowdoin College by 8-2 scores at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough. The losses drop the Judges to 5-3 on the season, while the Polar Bears start at 2-0.

In the opener, Brandeis senior Kyle Shedden (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty) allowed just five hits over the first six innings of work, but three of them went for extra bases: an RBI triple by centerfielder Ben McKenzie in the second; another RBI three-bagger by shortstop Eric Mah, who scored on a sacrifice fly, in the third; and a home run to left field by right fielder Gavin Cann. The last staked Bowdoin to a 4-0 lead.

Brandeis got on the board against Polar Bear starter Colby Lewis in the sixth with a one-out home run to dead centerfield by junior right fielder Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater). It was his second of the season and the 12th of his career and made the score 4-1. Bowdoin put things out of reach in the top of the seventh with four runs off of Shedden and reliever Donnie Weiss III (Swampscott, Mass./St. Mary's), including Cann's second homer of the game. Judge senior DH Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass. / Lynnfield) knocked in a run in the bottom of the seventh, but was too little, too late.

Shedden suffered the loss, allowing seven hits and six earned runs in six-plus innings of work. He struck out six and did not walk anyone, though he did hit a batter. Lewis went the distance for Bowdoin, allowing two runs on just four hits. He fanned five and walked one, throwing 59 of his 92 pitches for strikes.

The second game started in a similar fashion, with Bowdoin jumping out to a big lead. The visitors scored four unearned runs in the top of the first thanks to a leadoff error struck by Mah. After a single and an infield pop to the pitcher, Cann continued his hot day with a two-run double. Brandeis sophomore starter Cam Roberts (Leominster, Mass./Nashoba Regional) got a strikeout for the second out of the frame, but first baseman Brendan O'Neill got one up in the win to deep center that drifted just over the fence for a three-run home run.

The Polar Bears added two more unearned runs in the third, one off of Roberts and the other against rookie reliever Asher Kaplan (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Boston Latin). Brandeis got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when junior first baseman Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy) singled to lead off the inning and scored on a triple by junior catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown). Hall scored on a sacrifice fly by rookie third baseman Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif./Palos Verde), but the Judges were unable to push any more runs home, with only one runner advancing past second base the rest of the way.

Roberts suffered the loss for the Judges, allowing six hits and six unearned runs in 2.2 innings. He struck out five without walking a batter, though he did hit one. Kaplan went 3.1 innings and gave up five hits and two runs with two Ks, one walk and three hit batters before giving way to senior Jackson Carman (Naples, Fla./Naples) for a 1-2-3 seventh. Seamus Keenan earned the win for the Polar Bears, allowing six hits and two earned runs in five innings. He fanned five and didn't walk a batter with one HBP. Two Bowdoin relievers allowed one hit over the last two innings.

Brandeis got multi-hit games from Hall and rookie center fielder Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield), who was 2-3, and Hall, who was 2-3 with an RBI, a run scored and his second triple of the season. Bowdoin's O'Neill (3-4, 3 RBI, 2 R, HR) and Stephen Simoes (3-4, 2 RBI, 1 R) and Cann (2-5, 2 2B, R, RBI) led the visitor offense.

Brandeis is back in action tomorrow at noon with a doubleheader against Western New England University at the New England Baseball Complex.