WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University junior LF Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) drilled a 1-2 pitch to left field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, plating classmate Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass. / Mansfield) from second, to give the Judges a 4-3 nonconference victory over visiting Bates College today on Stein Diamond. With the win, the Judges complete a three-game sweep of the Bobcats and improve to 7-2 on the season. Bates falls to 2-9.
The game was terrific pitcher's duel throughout. Brandeis junior righty Asher Kaplan (Jamaica Plain, Mass. / Boston Latin) had the best outing of his career, holding the Bobcats to five hits and two runs (one earned) over the first seven innings. He struck out a career-high 11 batters, six of which were looking. Kaplan came out after the seventh after throwing 102 pitches, 71 for strikes.
Meanwhile, Bates starter Braden Karess gave up three hits and two runs (one earned) over the first four innings, striking out two with one walk. Corbin McAlpine allowed three hits and one earned run with four Ks over the next four frames.
Brandeis opened the game with a run in the first without a hit, as Simon reached on an error and advanced to second on an errant pickoff thrown by Karess. He then scored on a pair of wild pitches.
Bates took the lead in the fourth on RBI singles by Tyler Attal and Noah Jankowski, but Kaplan evaded further damage by snaring a line drive back through the box and getting Jankowski at first for a double play.
The Judges knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth when graduate student Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from junior 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif./Palos Verde). Frey then put the Judges ahead in the bottom of the sixth inning with a one-out solo home run. He went to the opposite field for his first homer of the season and the sixth of his career.
After Kaplan came out of the game, the Bobcats got to Brandeis reliever Jakob Newman (Manhattan Beach, Calif. / Mira Costa) for an unearned run in the eighth, loading the bases on an error and two singles. Jankowski hit a double-play ball that was booted at second base, allowing the tying run to score. Newman rallied to strike out the next Bates hitter looking and get a sharp liner to shortstop to leave the sacks packed.
Newman, who earned the win and improved to 1-0, retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, setting up Simon's heroics. With two away, Nugent singled to left and moved to second when the ball skidded under the leftfielder's glove. Simon followed with a couple of long foul balls before delivering his walk-off single against Bates reliever Ian McAslan, who fell to 0-1 on the season.
For the Judges, Frey wielded the big bat, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, a home run and a stolen base. Simon was the team's only other multiple hitter, going 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Bates' Henry Jamieson scored two of his team's runs, while Attal and Kevin Lucey each had two of the Bobcats' seven hits. Jankowski had two RBI.
Brandeis returns to action tomorrow at noon when they take on Amherst College in a doubleheader.