PITTSBURGH, PA. – Brandeis University softball used a mid-game surge and strong relief pitching to erase an early deficit and defeat Carnegie Mellon University, 7-4, Friday afternoon, in the opening game of a three-game University Athletic Association series.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 17-10, 4-3 UAA.
• Carnegie Mellon, 14-11, 2-5 UAA.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Carnegie Mellon struck quickly in the bottom of the first, stringing together two singles, capped by a three-run home run from Reagan Diamond to take a 3-0 lead.
• The Judges answered in the second when senior Elle Ehrlich (Falls Church, Va./Meridian) launched a two-run homer to right-center, after a single from senior Maddie Manes (San Clemente, Calif./San Juan Hills), cutting the deficit to 3-2.
• After the Tartans added a solo home run in the third to extend their lead to 4-2, Brandeis broke through in the fourth inning. Manes doubled to right center for her second hit of the day, and Ehrlich reached on a hit-by-pitch. Junior Katie Baydian (Massapequa, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Acad.) then drove in a run with a ground-rule double before first-year Mia Deck (Laguna Hills, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) delivered the go-ahead blow with a two-run single to put the Judges on top, 5-4.
• Brandeis added insurance in the seventh. Junior Brooke Boehmer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) led off with a double and later scored on an RBI single by Manes. Ehrlich followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in another run and extend the lead to 7-4.

IN THE CIRCLE

• After a brief start by first-year Madeline Jennings (New York, N.Y./Beacon), sophomore Jamie Staub (Lawrenceville, N.J./Hun School) was dominant in relief, allowing just one run on four hits over 6.2 innings while striking out one to earn the win and improve to 6-2 on the season.
• She retired the side in order in three separate innings and held the Tartans scoreless over the final four frames.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ehrlich led the offense with three RBI, going 1-for-2 with a home run (her second of the season and fifth of her career) and a sacrifice fly.
• Deck finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Manes paced the Judges with three hits and a run scored.
• Baydian added a pair of hits and an RBI, and Boehmer scored once and reached base twice, helping set the tone at the top of the lineup.
• Brandeis totaled nine hits on the day, with five going for extra bases.

UP NEXT

• The Judges and Tartans will conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, April 10th, with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.