WALTHAM, Mass. - The visiting Johnson and Wales University
baseball team struck for seven runs in the first four innings and
were able to hold off host Brandeis University by turning three key
double plays in the late innings as the Wildcats defeated the
Judges, 7-3, on Stein Diamond today. JWU improves to 15-14 with the
win, while Brandeis falls to 11-18.
The visitors jumped on Brandeis
junior Kyle Ritchie (Brewster, Mass./Nauset
Regional) for six runs in 2.2 innings of work. Big hits
for the Wildcats included a pair of first-inning doubles by junior
CF Waldis Garcia (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) and senior DH Kohn Kuschman
(Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic), who both came around to score.
Kuschman added an RBI single in the third, followed by a two-run
single from senior 3B Frank Nadjavestky (Avenel, N.J./Colonia).
Brandeis snapped a 17-inning
scoreless streak in the bottom of the third on three straight
singles by rookie SS Julian Cavin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Beacon
School), rookie CF Sean O'Hare (Southampton,
Mass./Hampshire Regional) and sophomore 3B Tony
Deshler (Pepperrell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.). O'Hare was
thrown out rounding second on Deshler's RBI hit, draining some of
the momentum from the Judges' inning.
JWU answered with a run in the
top of the fourth without a hit, as junior LF Michael Sarfati (N.
Plainfield, N.J./N. Plainfield) walked, stole second, moved to
third on a wild pitch and scored on a Mike Murphy (Pawtucket,
R.I./St. Raphael Acad.) ground out.
Brandeis added single runs in the
fifth on an O'Hare sacrifice fly and in the seventh on a two-out
single by Deshler. Despite allowing runners in every inning, The
Wildcats were able to work out of trouble by inducing three double
plays, including two in the last three innings.
Wildcat junior starter Nick
Marine (Bristol, R.I./Mount Hope) improved to 3-2 with six innings
of seven-hit ball. He gave up three earned runs and did not walk or
strike out a batter, though he did hit three with pitches. Rookie
Marc Sommerhalter (Emerson, N.J./Emerson) earned his third save
with three innings of scoreless ball.
Ritchie suffered the loss after
2.2 innings of seven-hit, six-run ball. The back end of the
Brandeis bullpen was impressive, as sophomore John McGrath (New
York, N.Y./Trevor Day) and rookie Alex Tynan (Barnegat,
N.J./Barnegat) held the Wildcats scoreless over the final six
innings, allowing four hits, two walks and two hit batters between
them.
Offensively, Brandeis was paced
by Deshler, who went 2-5 with two RBI, and Cavin, who reached in
all four of his plate appearances with three singles and a
hit-by-pitch. Junior DH Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth,
Maine/Cape Elizabeth) also had two hits, while sophomore
RF Eric Rosenberg's (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills)
double was the Judges' only extra-base hit.
JWU had four multiple hitters:
Garcia, Kuschman, Nadjavestky and senior catcher Eric Rapuano
(Clinton, Conn./Morgan), who reached base in five plate
appearances, by going 2-2 with a walk and getting hit by two
pitches. He scored two runs and drove in one.
Brandeis wraps up a three-game
homestand tomorrow at 3 p.m. against Salem State College, while
Johnson & Wales travels to Albertus Magnus for a GNAC twin-bill
on Saturday afternoon.
BOX
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