WALTHAM, Mass. – Playing off-campus at Yetten Field in Waltham, the Brandeis University baseball team pounded out seven extra-base hits as the Judges defeated Amherst College, 6-4, in the New England debut for both teams.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 2-3.
- Amherst, 0-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Judges opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when first-year catcher Keith Lee (Milford, Mass./Milford) drew a one-out walk, then scored from first on a triple to center by first-year DH Danny Tambascia (Newton, Mass./Newton North).
- Amherst bounced back with a three-hit inning of their own, scoring on a triple, single and double that gave the Mammoths a 2-1 lead.
- Brandeis went back on top in the fourth. Lee was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Though he was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Dylan Walsh (Arlington, Mass./Arlington) triple, Walsh would beat the throw to the plate on Tambascia's hit to second base. Sophomore SS Mano Boutsikakis (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) followed with a go-ahead double that plated Tambascia from first.
- The Judges added two more runs in the fifth, with grad student 1B Eddie Zanor (Branford, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven) leading off with a double and scoring two batters later when Amherst traded a run for a double play. Lee followed and delivered his first collegiate home run, and the Judges first of the season, to put Brandeis ahead, 5-2.
- Brandeis tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, when sophomore LF Henry Aronwald (Rye Brook, N.Y. Trinity Pawling) led off with a triple and scored on a hit by grad student CF Jake Freed (Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson).
- The insurance runs proved handy, as Amherst scored twice in the top of the eighth with two walks, two doubles and a sacrifice fly against first-year Keni Franck (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison). Classmate Brady Lane (Hingham, Mass./Boston College High School) came on and induced an inning-ending double play.
- After hitting a batter and giving up a hit in the ninth, Lane got a fly out and another 6-4-3 double play to end the game and earn his second save of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Eight players combined for 11 hits for the Judges. Boutsikakis went 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI, while Walsh and Aronwald both went 2-4 with a triple and a run scored.
- Lee's homer was just his second hit in a Brandeis uniform.
- Sophomore Cooper Gavin (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) earned the win with 2.1 innings of relief, allowing two hits and striking out two without giving up a walk.
- Lane went 1.2 innings with a hit and a hit batter for his second career save.
UP NEXT
- The Judges head to Trinity (Conn.) College on March 4 at 3:30 p.m.