ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - The Brandeis University dropped its
University Athletic Association opener against Emory University,
3-1, today, but the Judges rallied in their second contest to hand
defending UAA champions Washington University a 9-6 loss, the
Bears' first of the season.
Brandeis (3-1, 1-1 UAA) and Washington University (7-, 1-1 UAA)
played a back-and-forth game that featured five different innings
with multiple runs scored. The Judges opened the scoring in the
third inning on a two-run home run to left field by junior 2B
Melisa Cagar (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood). It was
her first of the season and the ninth of her career.
The Bears stranded two runners in the third inning, but claimed
their first lead in the fourth. The first three batters reached
safely on solid singles before senior CF Ashton Hitchcock (Normal,
Ill/Normal University) connected for a grand slam off of Brandeis
sophomore Caroline Miller (Bala Cynwyd,
Pa./Harriton), giving Washington a 4-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Brandeis got jut one hit, but it was a
big one, as a walk and two WashU errors were followed up by another
grand slam, this time by Brandeis sophomore RF Brittany
Grimm (Perkiomenville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) went deep to
left field for her first collegiate home run and a 6-4 Judges edge.
In the bottom of the frame, Hitchcock picked up her fifth RBI of
the day with a double to right-center, while a passed ball scored
senior catcher Carter Malouf (Minneapolis, Minn./Academy of Holy
Angels) to tied the score at 6-6.
The Judges played small-ball in the sixth to score the winning
runs. After senior pitcher Allie Mussen (Franklin
Square, N.Y./Carey), who relieved Miller after she surrendered the
Hitchcock's blast, led off with a walk, an error on a bunt by
senior SS Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass./Holy
Name) put runners at second and third. That brought up junior CF
Carly Schmand (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman), who
sent a hard-shot single to shortstop that plated Mussen with what
proved to be the game-winning run. Schmand was able to move to
second while the fielders kept their eyes on Korp at third. Cagar
followed with a squeeze bunt that got Korp home, and sophomore LF
Marianne Specker (So. Windsor, Conn./Westminster
School) did the same to put the Judges ahead, 9-6, the final
margin.
Mussen retired the side in order in the sixth to pick up the
win, while senior Emily Vaillette (Milford,
N.H./Milford) did the same in the seventh to earn her third
collegiate save. The win for the Judges was just their fifth in 21
meetings over Washington University.
In the opener against Emory, Vaillette scattered seven hits over
seven innings, but two unearned runs were the downfall as the
Judges fell, 3-1. The Eagles scored two runs in the first inning
and another in the second. In the first, senior CF Cassie Walsh
(Palm City, Fla./Jensen Beach) hit a two-out single up the middle
to open the scoring. An error on the next play allowed EU to tack
on another run on a base hit by sophomore catcher Jessica Boni
(Fuquay Varina, N.C./Fuquay-Varina). In the second, senior RF Jenna
Lamoreaux (Sugar Land, Texas/Elkins) led off with a single, but two
errors allowed her to come home with the Eagles' third run.
Brandeis got infield hits in the second and third before finally
getting on the board in the fourth. With two away, rookie DH
Stacy Berg (Owings Mills, Md./McDonough) launched
her second home run of the season to left-center field, getting the
Judges within 3-1. Unfortunately, Brandeis could muster only one
more hit after that, as EU rookie Jamie Melson (Conyers,
Ga./Heritage) was outstanding in going the distance and improving
to 2-2 on the season.
The Judges are back in action tomorrow with UAA contests against
the University of Rochester at 10 a.m. and Case Western Reserve
University at 12:30 p.m.
BRANDEIS-EMORY BOX
SCORE
BRANDEIS-WASHU BOX
SCORE
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