WALTHAM, Mass. - The Brandeis softball team, ranked fifth in New
England, improved their chances at a Pool 'B' NCAA tournament berth
with a pair of wins over Emerson College, the No. 3 team in the
Northeast Region and champions of the GNAC. The Judges belted five
home runs in game one, including two in the seventh for a dramatic
10-9 come-from-behind win, then cruised to victory, 8-3, in the
second contest.
Brandeis (25-15) did not lead in game one until their final
at-bat. Trailing, 9-7, sophomore 1B Courtney Kelley
(Leicester, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) belted a one-out
solo home run, her second of the day and third of the campaign, to
cut the deficit to one run. After the Lions got the next out,
rookie LF Lara Hirschler (Bellmore, N.Y./JFK)
reached on a costly error, as the next Judge batter, junior SS
Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) took
Emerson rookie Sara Murray (Auburn, N.H./Manchester Memorial) deep
to left field for the walk-off home run. The blast was Korp's first
of the season and the sixth of her career.
Emerson (32-9) jumped out to an 8-3 lead after two-and-a-half
innings, scoring twice in the first and second innings and four
more times in the third. The big hits for the visitors came from
sophomore LF Jilisa Rawding (Tewksbury, Mass./Tewksbury), who had
an RBI single in the second and a two-run single in the third, and
junior 2B Jill Vallacorsa (Latham, N.Y./Shaker), who connected for
a two-run double in the third as well.
After the third inning, however, Brandeis junior reliever
Allie Mussen (Franklin Square, N.Y./Carey) was
able to dance around trouble for the most part. She allowed 10
base-runners in her 4.2 innings of work, but only allowed one to
score, stranding Emerson runners in every inning she worked.
In addition to the big homers from Korp (2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)
and Kelley (2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), the Judges also got a big game
from sophomore 2B Melisa Cagar (Ridgewood,
N.J./Ridgewood), who had solo home runs in the first two
innings and also stole two bases. Rawding finished 3-4 with three
RBI, two steals and a run scored for Emerson.
In game two, it was the Judges who pounced first, scoring three
runs in the first inning and eventually taking a 7-1 lead after
four innings. Junior C Erin Ross (Manalapan,
N.J./Manalapan) had a two-run double in the first,
followed by another two-bagger by rookie CF Brittany Grimm
(Perkiomenville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley). Emerson scored on
a Brandeis error in the top of the second, but were held in check
by Judge junior Emily Vaillette (Milford,
N.H./Milford) until the top of the seventh, when rookie
pitcher Kelsey Tuthill (Middlefield, Conn./Suffield) hit a two-run
bomb, her first of the season.
Vaillette went the distance for the 15th time this
season to improve to 11-8. She held the Lions to just five hits,
striking out four and walking none, allowing three runs (two
earned). Ross had a perfect game at the plate, going 4-4 with three
RBI, a double and a run scored. Cagar went 2-3 with three runs
scored and three more stolen bases, setting a Brandeis
single-season record with 30. Rookie Lauren Porcaro
(Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) launched her first
collegiate home run in the sixth inning.
No Emerson player had more than one hit in the second contest,
with Tuthill picking up a pair of RBI on her home run. She also
scored two runs. Junior Bridget Farago (Oneonta, N.Y./Oneonta)
added double and a stolen base. Tuthill suffered the loss, just her
fourth of the season against 18 wins. She allowed eight hits and
seven runs, only two of which were earned, striking out two and
walking none.
Emerson, champions of the GNAC, will await their NCAA Tournament
berth on Monday morning at 11 a.m., while Brandeis will hope for a
Pool 'B' at-large berth or a spot in the ECAC Division III New
England tournament, where they are the defending champions.
