WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University softball team had a successful home opener on Wednesday, winning both ends of a doubleheader against the Fitchburg State Falcons. The Judges took the first game, 7-0, and ended the second early with a six-inning, 11-3 victory. Brandeis now sits at 5-9 on the season, while Fitchburg State fell to 9-11.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 1 (Brandeis, 7-0)

• Brandeis sophomore Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla. / Strawberry Crest) was absolutely dominant on the mound in the opener, not allowing a single ball to reach the outfield en route to tossing a two-hitter with four strikeouts and no walks. Her record is now 2-4 on the season.

• Todd also contributed at the plate, reaching in all three of her plate appearances with two singles and walk.

• Freshman Jolie Fujita (Honolulu, Hawaii / Punahou School) got things started in the first inning, driving in junior Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn. / Plainfield) with an RBI single, one of her game-high three hits.

• Lehtonen got in on the RBI action in the second, sending a ball deep enough to right field to bring home senior Amanda Shore (San Jose, Calif. / Archbishop Mitty).

• The Judges broke the game open in the third inning. Sophomore PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H. / Sanborn Regional) sent her third home run of 2018 over the centerfield fence with one out to make it 3-0. After Todd walked and freshman Bridget Cifuni (Georgetown, Mass. / Brooks School) singled, junior Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y. / St. John the Baptist Diocesan) hit her first home run of the season to left field, doubling the Brandeis lead to six.

• The Fujita-Lehtonen connection worked again in the sixth inning, as Lehtonen singled, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and then came home on a Fujita double.

• Falcons pitcher Emma Campbell took the loss, giving up six earned runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings to move to 3-4. Taylor Colvin relieved her and was able to hold the Judges mostly at bay, yielding just one earned run on five hits and with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

• The 13 hits and seven runs were Brandeis' most since February 18.

HOW IT HAPPENED – Game 2 (Brandeis, 11-3, 6 innings)

• Brandeis sophomore Callie MacDonald (Hanover, Mass. / Hanover) threw a great game, holding Fitchburg State to just two earned runs on five hits and one walk over the entire six innings, striking out three in the process. She is now 2-5 on the year.

• Fujita got the party started before the Judges had even made an out, hitting her first collegiate home run out to center field, giving Brandeis a quick 3-0 lead.

• Ross picked up where she left off in the first game, driving home Fujita with her fourth home run of the season in the third inning, on a well-struck line drive that just snuck over the fence.

• After the Falcons scored their first run in the fourth, Brandeis responded an inning later when sophomore Brianna Urena (Somerset, Mass. / Somerset Berkley Regional) hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home freshman Lena Shapiro (Beverly Hills, Calif. / Beverly Hills) to make it 6-1.

• The Falcons brought it closer in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs. The first came on an RBI single from Nicole Sylvester, who later got intentionally caught in a rundown in between first and second, allowing Melissa DiPhilippo to come home and cut the Brandeis lead to three.

• The Judges responded in a big way in the bottom half of the frame, however. Lehtonen jumped all over the first pitch she saw for a leadoff home run, her first of the season, stretching the Brandeis lead to four.

• After Fuijta singled, senior Marysa Massoia (Feeding Hills, Mass. / Suffield Acad.) reached on an error on a bit of a wacky play which saw the ball go off of the pitcher's glove, and Ross sent one up the middle to load the bases, the stage was set for DeLaurentis. On a 2-1 pitch, she hit went deep to left field and over the fence, giving the Judges walk-off, 11-3 victory.

• Falcons starter Mikayla Harnois took the loss, and fell to 3-4 on the season.

• The four Brandeis home runs are the most the team has hit in any game this season.

UP NEXT

• The Judges host Emory this weekend, playing doubleheaders against Emory on Friday, beginning at 2:30 PM, and on Saturday, beginning at noon.

• Fitchburg State plays again on Saturday, hosting Bridgewater State for a doubleheader, starting at noon.

--Corey Cohen