ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Brandeis University softball team settled for a split in their season-opening UAA series with Washington University, dropping the finale by a 9-1 score.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 6-9, 2-2 UAA.
• Washington U.: 13-7, 2-2 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bears outhit the Judges, 15-3, and scored multiple runs in each of the final four innings.
• Brandeis had just one runner get past second base in the first five innings. Junior shortstop Anna Kolb (Alexandria, Va./Thomas A. Edison) doubled with two out in the top of the first, but the Washington hurler got a strikeout to end the inning.
• Brandeis senior starter Alex Cohen (West Palm Beach, Fla./The Benjamin School) retired the side in order in the first and got out of trouble in the second, but the Bears broke through in the third.
• WashU got three hits and a costly error in the third to score a pair of unearned runs.
• The Bears strung together four-straight hits, including a pair of doubles against sophomore reliever Ragini Kannan (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) to score three runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.
• They added two more runs on three hits in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-0.
• The Judges spoiled the shutout bid in the top of the sixth when WashU starter Jordan Rossi experienced some wildness. She hit Kolb with two out. Senior 3B Haley Nash (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) singled to third base, and Rossi issued back-to-back walks, with sophomore Elle Ehrlich (Falls Church, Va./Meridian) driving in a run. Rossi left the bases loaded by getting harmless pop to first base.
• WashU finished the game off in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a couple of doubles, walking the game off at 9-1 on a two-bagger by Olivia Craycraft.
• Kolb was the top hitter for the Judges, going 1-2 with a double and a run scored. Nash and junior catcher Tristan Boyer (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) had the team's other two hits.
• Cohen took the loss in the circle, falling to 2-6 on the season. She gave up four hits and two unearned runs in 2.2 innings of work. Kannan surrendered 11 hits and seven earned runs in three innings of relief.
• WashU's Rossie limited Brandeis to three hits and one earned run. She struck out six and walked three, moving to 3-0 on the season.

UP NEXT

• The Judges will play a non-conference doubleheader at Endicott College on Wednesday, with their next UAA series in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon on April 5-7.