WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University softball sophomore Marysa Massoia (Feeding Hills, Mass./Suffield Acad.) delivered a two-run pinch-hit single in the bottom of the fifth inning, just before umpires called the game because of snow – giving the Judges a 4-2 win over visiting Case Western Reserve in the first-ever University Athletic Association contest played on campus at Brandeis.

HOW IT HAPPENED – EARLY INNINGS

• The game was a pitcher's duel through the first four innings, with Brandeis rookie Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla./Strawberry Crest) and CWRU senior Annie Wennerberg (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake) working in and out of trouble.
• Each team left runners in scoring position throughout the first four frames.
• In the second, Wennerberg got back-to-back strikeouts to strand Todd at third after she doubled to lead off the inning and was bunted to third.
• In the top of the fourth, the Spartans loaded the bases with one out, but Todd got back-to-back grounders to third base, including a force at home, to escape damage.

HOW IT HAPPENED – TOP OF THE FIFTH

• The visitors finally broke through in the top of the fifth.
• With one away, Todd hit a batter.
• Sophomore shortstop Nicole Doyle (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon) followed with a single to the hole in short.
• Junior 2B Maren Waldner (Redondo Beach, Calif./Chadwick) followed with a hard single to center that drove in the first run.
• After Waldner stole second, junior 1B Grace Trichler (San Antonio, Texas/Winston Churchill) plated Doyle with a sacrifice fly to left.
• Todd got a foul pop to end the inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED – BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH

• In the bottom of the fifth, the Judges' offense took advantage of Case wildness to get back on track.
• With two away, sophomore LF Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y. / St.John the Baptist Diocesesan) walked and rookie 3B PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn Regional) singled to right, putting runners on the corners.
• Case coach Josie Henry then summoned junior Katie Dzierwa (Brookfield, Ill./Lyons Township) to the circle.
• Dzierwa issued walks to all three hitters she faced, with free passes to rookies Taylor Simala (Wellsburg, W. Va./Brooke) and Caroline Sippin (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) tying the game at 2-2.
• Wennerberg returned to the circle, and Brandeis coach Danielle DelPonte countered with Massoia, who ripped a line drive to left-center to plate the winning runs.

WEATHER CONCLUSION

• After Wennerberg hit the next batter, the umpires determined that the snow was falling too hard to continue.
• Because the game had reached regulation and the Judges were ahead, the game was declared finished by the UAA code of conduct.
• The second game between Brandeis and Case Western Reserve scheduled for today will not be played, and the two teams will meet again on Sunday with a 1 p.m. scheduled start.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Case's Waldner was the only player with two hits in the contest, going 2-3 with an RBI.
• Brandeis's DeLaurentis reached base in all three of her plate appearances, with a single and two walks.
• Todd's double in the second was the game's only extra-base hit.
• Todd improved to 4-1 in the circle after allowing six hits and two runs in five innings of work.
• Dzierwa suffered the loss to fall to 2-4, allowing two earned runs and walking all three hitters she faced.
• Wennerberg threw 4.2 innings of work, allowing six hits and two earned runs. She struck out four and walked four.

THE UAA

• This was the first-ever UAA home game for Brandeis.
• Prior to 2017, the conference had hosted all of its league games in Florida during a week in March.
• This is second weekend of UAA action for Case Western Reserve, who was at Emory last weekend.