ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Brandeis University baseball team scored a run in the top of the ninth, but the host Williams College Ephs responded with single runs in the bottom of the frame and in the 10
th to take a 4-3 victory on the campus of Bard College today.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 7-3.
- Williams, 1-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Runs were hard to come by in this one, as the teams combined for 17 hits and 13 walks, but only seven runs.
- The Judges opened the scoring in the third inning, thanks to two walks and a one-out single up the middle by sophomore 1B Danny Tambascia (Newton, Mass./Newton North).
- Williams scored their first run in the fourth, when Ryan Nakajima doubled to lead off the inning. After a hit batter and a bunt put two runners in scoring position, a grounder to short by Hank Jacobus tied things at 1.
- The Ephs took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after the Judges issued four walks in the frame, but got a strikeout to leave the bases loaded down just one.
- Evened things up in the sixth as junior CF Connor Crowley (Guilford, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven) singled to lead off and scored from first on a double down the line by sophomore catcher Keith Lee (Milford, Mass./Milford).
- A single one batter later looked to have the Judges in position to go ahead, but a nice play by the catcher caught a runner at second trying to advance on a short wild pitch, and a sharp liner to second ended the threat.
- Williams left the bases loaded in the eighth, as Judge senior Cooper Gavin (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) came in from the bullpen to get a strikeout and fly to left.
- The Judges rallied with two outs in the top of the ninth, as sophomore RF Bobby Quill (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) reached on a bunt single and scored on a triple to right-center by classmate LF Ben Kuja (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand). Brandeis had a chance to add on, but the Williams outfield made a nice catch to end the inning.
- Williams responded in the bottom of the inning, with Marcus Burrell II leading off with a double and scoring two batters later on a two-bagger by Nakajima. Sophomore Jack Sweeney (Waltham, Mass./Austin Prep) got a pair of strikeouts to force extra innings.
- After the hosts retired the side in order in the top of the 10th with a couple of nice defensive plays, they scored the winning run in the bottom of the inning.
- Hank Jacobus's lead-off grounder to short was hit hard but called an error. Jacobus stole second on a strikeout, and after Sweeney issued a walk, he got a hard-hit liner to third for the second out.
- Burrell worked the count to 3-1 before driving a single to center to give Williams the walk-off.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Kuja led the Brandeis offense, going 3-3 with a double, a triple and the go-ahead RBI in the top of the ninth. Junior Mano Boutsikakis (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) was the only other multiple hitter for the Judges.
- Junior Dimitri Skourides (Arlington, Mass./Winchendon School) started for the Judges and went four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. He walked three and struck out one.
- Sophomore Brady Lane (Hingham, Mass./BC High) had a 2.2 inning stint with five strikeouts and a walk. Sweeney took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season.
- Two of the Judges' three losses this season have come by one run.
UP NEXT
- The Judges will take on Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 pm in a game that will be played at Tufts University.