WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team split a doubleheader and secured at least a split for the third-straight series in University Athletic Association play, as the Judges and NYU played a pair of runaways today. The Violets took the opener, 17-5, before the Judges responded with one of the highest-scoring games in program history, 27-3, in the nightcap.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis: 14-11, 6-5 UAA.
- NYU: 9-13, 3-8 UAA.
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 1 (NYU 17, Brandeis 5)
- In the opener, the Violets scored single runs in the second and third innings, including a solo home run by Kosta Mocklis, to take a 2-0 lead.
- Brandeis answered with a three-run fourth on four hits, taking the 3-2 lead on a single up the middle by first-year SS Noah Koong (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake).
- NYU exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth, tying the game on a leadoff home run by Jack Kelman, then delivering four more hits and taking advantage of two Brandeis errors to take an 8-4 lead.
- Brandeis answered with a solo homer of their own off the bat of junior 2B Matt Chafin (Canton, Mass./Canton), while an RBI single by junior CF Connor Crowley (Guilford, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven) cut the deficit to 8-5. The Judges left the bases loaded in the frame and would not score again.
- NYU put together two more crooked numbers, scoring six in the seventh and three more in the eighth to meet the UAA's 10-run rule.
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 2 (Brandeis 27, NYU 3)
- In Game 2, the Judges tied the third-highest scoring game in program history, behind only a 31-run game against Tufts in 1999 and a 28-run performance against Clark in 1993 and equaling a 27-run game against Norwich in 2007.
- The 24-run margin of victory was tied for the fourth-largest in program history, trailing shutouts of 28-0 (Clark, 1993), 27-0 (Norwick, 2007), and Salve Regina (25-0, 1997).
- The Judges scored one run in the first inning, four in the second, six in the third, 11 runs in the fourth inning and five in the sixth.
- The six-run third inning featured just one hit, as NYU pitchers issued seven walks, including six in a row at one point.
- The Judges sent 14 batters to the plate in their 11-run fourth, highlighted by an RBI single and a three-run home run by sophomore 3B Ben Kuja (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) and doubles by sophomore 1B Danny Tambascia (Newton, Mass./Newton North) and first-year pinch hitter Nolan Wanat (Eastham, Mass./Milton Acad.).
- Tambascia added a three-run home run in the sixth inning.
- Kuja and Tambascia each had career days, with both driving in seven runs, the most in a game by a Brandeis player since 2019.
- Kuja went 4-5 with 7 RBI and 5 runs scored, a walk, a stolen base, and his second homer of the season and his career. Tambascia was 3-4 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored, 7 RBI, a double and his third homer of the season and fourth of his career.
- Sophomore RF Bobby Quill (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham Regional) went 2-2 with 2 doubles, two walks and one hit-by-pitch. He drove in two runs and scored five, tying a UAA and Brandeis single-game record.
- In all, 11 different Judges had hits, 11 scored runs and eight had RBI.
- In addition to the offensive fireworks, graduate student Jacob Maurer (Dayton, Ohio/Archbishop Carroll) allowed just one hit in five innings of work. He surrendered three unearned runs, walking five and hitting two batters with seven strikeouts, as he improved to 3-2 on the campaign. Junior Kyle Murray (West Roxbury, Mass./Boston Latin) threw two scoreless innings in relief.
UP NEXT
- The Judges and Violets will meet tomorrow a 11 a.m. as the Judges go for their first UAA series win of the season.