WALTHAM, Mass. – Rookie LF Bri Papa (Camillus, N.Y.) went 3-3 with three RBI and a stolen base today as the Emerson College softball team defeated host Brandeis, 4-2, on Marcus Field in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Emerson (34-7) opened the scoring in the first inning. After two were out, rookie 1B Brittany Cooke (Lake Forest, Ill.) doubled and junior catcher Jen Boyden (Chester, N.H.) singled and stole second, putting runners on second and third. Papa followed with a two-run single to give the Lions the lead.

Brandeis (20-24), seeking to put together the second-winningest season in school history, evened the score in the fifth. Again with two away, sophomore RF Natalie Volpe (Southington, Conn.) doubled. She came home when pitcher Kaitlin Streilein (Point Pleasant, N.J.) reached on an error by the shortstop. After a single by senior 1B Bri Smith (Tewksbury, Mass.), classmate SS Mari Levine (Hopkinton, Mass.) singled to knot the score. Levine stole second, but the Judges left runners at second and third.

After Streilein escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam in the sixth, Emerson scored the winning runs in the top of the seventh. The Lions loaded the bases on a walk to sophomore CF Mallory Moretti (Westerly, R.I.) and singles by Cooke and Boyden. Papa followed with a single to center field that plated Moretti, while a Brandeis error allowed an insurance run to score. Brandeis put its first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but could not plate the tying run.

Brandeis was paced by Volpe, who went 2-2 with a double and a runs scored. Senior LF Elissa Glucksman (Stamford, Conn.) was 2-4 on the day, the only other multiple hitter for the Judges. Streilein finished with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work, falling to 11-10 on the season.

In addition to Papa, Cooke went 3-4 with a double and a run scored, while Boyden, sophomore 3B Lindsey DeStefano (Gloucester, R.I.) and junior DP Jodie Jordan (Northboro, Mass.) all went 2-4 on the day. Junior Heather Drobiarz (Old Saybrook, Conn.) picked up the win with seven innings of seven-hit ball. She struck out four and walked three.