WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team gave up a trio of big innings today as the Judges suffered a 9-1 setback against visiting Nichols College.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 4-13.
• Nichols: 14-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges saw the visitors put up crooked numbers in three innings.
• In the top of the first against senior starter Sean Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Calif./Visitmar), Nichols loaded the bases with no outs on a double and two walks. Decker-Jacoby issued another free pass to plate the first run, but he lessened the damage by getting a double-play and fly to center field as the Bison took a 2-0 lead.
• Brandeis loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the frame on two walks and an error, but could not push a run home.
• The defenses turned three more double plays in the bottom of the second and in both halves of the third.
• Brandeis got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when junior catcher Justin Keeler (Seymour, Conn./St. Joseph's) led off with a double and scored on a wild pitch with two outs.
• The Bison answered and added another run in the top of the fifth, with center fielder Ben Jerome scoring from first on right fielder Brennan Hyde's double. Hyde scored after a walk, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 in favor of Nichols.
• The Judges had a couple of base runners, but did not threaten to score the rest of the way.
• Nichols blew things open in the eighth, sending 11 men to the plate and scoring five runs on four hits, three walks and an error to account for the 9-1 final.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis finished with six hits coming from five different players, with sophomore DH Alex Kim (Basking Ridge, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) the only multiple hitter.
• Grad student Eddie Zanor (Branford, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven) reached base three times in four plate appearances on a hit and two walks.
• Keeler's double was Brandeis's only extra-base hit.
• Nichols saw the top two hitters in their order, shortstop Johnny Knox and Jerome, combined to go 6-9 with a double by Knox, three walks and five runs scored.
• 2B Andrew Croteau and 3B Jim Marasco each drove in two runs for the Bison.
• Decker-Jacoby suffered the loss on the mound, falling to 1-4 on the season. He allowed four hits and two earned runs in three innings of work. He walked three batters without a strikeout.
• Nichols junior John Steed improved to 2-0, throwing five innings of four-hit ball. He allowed one earned run with two walks.

UP NEXT

• The Judges will head to Cleveland this weekend for their first University Athletic Association series of the season against Case Western Reserve. The series kicks off Friday at 3 p.m.