CHICAGO, Ill. – The Brandeis University softball team visited the University of Chicago for the first time in program history, and the Judges dropped a 3-0 University Athletic Association decision to the Maroons.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 8-28-1, 3-13 UAA.
• Chicago, 19-19, 8-8 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges and Maroons engaged in a pitcher's duel, with only two innings featuring hits.
• Unfortunately for Brandeis, Chicago was able to bunch their four hits all in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times, while the Judges were held to just one hit across the seven innings.
• Through the first three innings, the only base runner was Brandeis senior Tristan Boyer (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield), who singled through the left side with one out in the third. The Judges were unable to advance her, as Chicago hurler Paige Heffke got a strikeout and a grounder to second.
• Judge sophomore Brooke Boehmer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) was hit by a pitch with one out in the fourth and moved to second on a wild pitch with two away. Junior Bells Burdenski (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) hit a sharp grounder to short, and Boehmer was called out for interference as she tried to avoid the ball.
• After Brandeis junior Ragini Kannan (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) retired the first nine Maroons she faced, she issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth. After the runner was bunted to second, Audrey Hui put one through the hole on the right side, driving in the winning run.
• After the Judges got a fielder's choice for the second out, Chicago strung together three more singles, scoring two more runs. The Judges avoided further damage when left-fielder Erin Hunt (Wake Forest, N.C./Franklin Academy) threw out a runner trying to go first to third for the final out, but the Maroons had a 3-0 lead.
• The final three innings featured just two more base-runners, both coming on walks.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Heffke earned the win for Chicago, facing three batters over the minimum in a complete-game effort. She allowed one hit and struck out five, walking one and hitting one. She threw just 92 pitches and improved to 14-9 on the season.
• Kannan went four innings and fell to 4-9 on the campaign. She allowed four hits and three earned runs, striking out one and walking one.
• Grad student Kathryn Vermeulen (Evergreen, Colo./Evergreen) pitched the final two innings, getting four of her six outs by way of strikeout. She did not allow a hit, walking one.
• Offensively, Boyer had Brandeis's lone hit. Chicago's Sedona Ding, who scored the game's first run, was the only player to reach base more than once, drawing a pair of walks.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• This was Brandeis's first meeting with Chicago since 1997.
• The Maroons, who participated in three UAA tournaments, have been in the Midwest Conference for softball since then, returned to the UAA this season.
• The series between the two teams is tied at 4-4.

UP NEXT

• The Judges and Maroons will meet in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Eastern/12 Central, on Saturday in the conclusion of the regular season for both teams.