WALTHAM, Mass. – In their opponents' first-ever trip to Stein Diamond, the Brandeis University baseball team fell to the visiting University of Chicago Maroons twice, dropping a 5-0 pitcher's duel in the opener and falling victim to a late rally in the nightcap, 9-6.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 8-12, 0-2 University Athletic Association.
- Chicago, 15-5, 2-0 UAA.
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 1 (Chicago 5, Brandeis 0)
- The starting pitchers were in control through the first six innings, holding the bats to just four hits combined.
- Brandeis grad student Chris Lowe (Chatham, N.J./Oratory Prep) held Chicago to three hits through six, while the Maroons' Drew Bryan was even better, allowing just one.
- Chicago finally broke through against Lowe in the seventh, with catcher Eddie McCarthy driving in 2B Brady Miller, who reached on a bunt single, stole second and moved to third on an error. McCarthy scored on an error struck by Richard Lu, making it 2-0, Chicago.
- The visitors added three insurance runs in the eighth, when LF Jackson Spillock doubled home two runs and scored on a wild pitch.
- That was plenty offense for Bryan and two relievers, as UC pitchers allowed three hits, two walks and one hit batter.
- Bryan earned the win, going seven strong with 9 Ks, two walks and two hits allowed. He improves to 2-1. Landon Brice retired the side in order in the eighth on nine pitches, and Kason Pelz gave up a hit but left a runner on in the ninth.
- Brandeis's Lowe suffered the hard-luck loss, falling to 2-1 allowing five hits and three runs, two earned, in 7.1 innings. He struck out four and walked two with a hit batter.
- Chicago's McCarthy was the only multiple hitter, going 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 2 (Chicago 9, Brandeis 6)
- The Judges jumped out to a 6-2 lead after five innings. After Chicago scored on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the second, the Judges claimed their first lead of the day on an RBI single by 2B Dylan Walsh (Arlington, Mass./Arlington) and a two-run single by sophomore SS Mano Boutsikakis (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier).
- UC got one back on a sacrifice fly in the third to cut Brandeis's lead to 3-2.
- Brandeis scored on a solo home run by sophomore RF Henry Aronwald (Rye Brook, N.Y./Trinity Pawling). It was Aronwald's third of the season, tied for the team lead.
- The Judges padded their lead with two more in the fifth on a single by 3B Ben Kuja (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) and another single by Aronwald.
- The Maroons started their comeback in the seventh after Judge sophomore Andrew Tringe (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) departed the game. First-year Jack Sweeney (Waltham, Mass./Austin Prep) struck out the first batter he faced, Lu, but the third strike got away, putting the runner on.
- Lu stole second and moved to third on a single by Braden Jirovich, who also stole second. Michael Gladden plated Lu. With runners on the corners, the Maroons executed a double steal that lowered Brandeis's lead to 6-4. Gladden then came home on Erik Ridner's single, getting UC within 6-5.
- After Brandeis rookie Brady Lane (Hingham, Mass/ Boston College High School) came on with a runner on first, he got a strikeout and a line-drive double play back to the mound to escape further damage, as the Judges led, 6-5.
- Lane worked around a two-out error in the eighth, but the Judges couldn't capitalize on a lead-off single by Walsh in the eighth.
- Chicago busted things open with four hits in the top of the ninth against Brady. After Jirovec led off with a single, Gladden drove a Lane offering over the fence to give UC its first lead of the game, 7-6. The visitors added on two more insurance runs to close out ninth.
- Lane fell to 0-2 with the loss, allowing four hits on four runs in 2.1 innings of relief. Chicago's Kirk Waller threw a scoreless eighth inning for the win, allowing one hit and striking out one to improve to 1-0. Brice retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
UP NEXT
- The teams are scheduled to meet again tomorrow at 1 p.m. on campus, but weather may force a venue change.