WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University graduate student 1B Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) hit a pair of two-run home runs in the first three innings, when the Judges did all of their scoring today in a 13-6 win over visiting St. Joseph's College in Brandeis's home opener. With the win, the Judges improve to 3-2. The Monks fall to 5-4.

Khoury drove in four runs for the second game in a row, bringing his season total to 10. He also hit two home runs in a game for the second time in his career. Both came with one runner on base, with the first coming in the second inning and the second as part of a seven-run third. In his last two contests, Khoury is batting 7-for-8 with three home runs, a double, seven runs scored and eight RBI. His two home runs today moved him into a tie for fourth on the Judges' career list with 22, equaling Tim Graham '95. Khoury's previous two-homer game came March 16, 2019, against Clark University, nearly three years ago to the day.

The Judges also got a two-run home run from grad student catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) in the first inning for the second game in a row. Grad student CF Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Junior RF Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) broke out of a slump, going 3-for-6 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while first-year DH Aiden Schleer (Sparta, N.J./Avon Old Farms, Conn.) also drove in a pair of runs, the first two RBI of his collegiate career.

In all, the Judges scored three runs in each of the first two innings, then exploded for seven in the third when they sent 11 men to the plate. Simon had a two-run double, followed by Khoury's second blast. Frey's RBI triple down the left-field line made it a five-run frame, and junior SS Drew Michaud (Madison, Conn / Xavier) and Schleer each added RBI singles.

St. Joseph's did their scoring in the second through fifth innings. Their big hits were a pair of solo home runs, with 2B Drew Healy going deep in the third inning and RF Dawson Gundlah leaving the park in the fifth. Healey also had a double as the Monks' lone multiple hitter.

Three Brandeis pitchers combined to strikeout SJC hitters 14 times. Sophomore Asher Kaplan (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Boston Latin) threw the first four innings, allowing nine hits with five runs (four earned) and five strikeouts. Sophomore Sean Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Calif./Vistimar) fanned four in two innings of work, allowing just two hits, two walks and one earned run. It was his first collegiate win. Junior Jakob Newman (Manhattan Beach, Calif. / Mira Costa) was terrific as the final reliever, fanning five in three hitless innings to earn a save.

St. Joseph's Matthew Bergeron took the loss, throwing the first two innings and giving up six hits and six runs (five earned), a pair of homers and two walks with one strikeout. The Monks used six different relievers, with the final four shutting down the Brandeis bats, allowing just two hits and a walk over the final four innings with six strikeouts.

Brandeis returns to action on Sunday, March 20, when they host Bates College in a doubleheader.