PITTSBURGH, PA.  – The Brandeis University softball team split its doubleheader against Carnegie Mellon, opening the day with a 5-0 victory before falling 2-1 in the second game. With the split and a win in yesterday's opener, the Judges secured the overall series victory against the Tartans.
 
TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 18-11, 5-4 UAA.
• Carnegie Mellon, 15-12, 3-6 UAA.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 1 (Brandeis 5, Carnegie Mellon 0)

• The Judges created early chances, loading the bases in the first inning and putting another runner on base in the second, but Carnegie Mellon escaped both frames to keep the game scoreless.
• Brandeis broke through in the third inning, as sophomore Jordan Wallace (Howell, N.J./Choate Rosemary Hall (Conn.)) delivered an RBI double to center field to score junior Brooke Boehmer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) and give the Judges a 1-0 lead.
• Brandeis added some breathing room in the fifth with a power surge, as senior Erin Hunt (Wake Forest, N.C./Franklin Academy) doubled to left field and Wallace launched a two-run homer to left-center before senior Bells Burdenski (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) followed with a solo home run to make it 4-0.
• The Judges threatened again in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but were held scoreless for the inning.
• They tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, when first-year Taryn Rainey (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) singled to right to bring home Burdenski and extend the lead to 5-0.
• Senior pitcher Ragini Kannan (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) was dominant in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just three hits and striking out eight, earning the win for Brandeis and improving her record on the season to 6-3.
• She retired 11 of the final 13 batters she faced and was backed by a defense that turned a game-ending double play to seal the victory.
• After this game, Kannan has moved into 3rd on the career strikeout list with 321, as well as tied for 2nd for career shutouts with 9, and tied for 6th for career wins with 33.
• Behind her strong pitching performance, the Judges held the Tartans to just four baserunners in the game.

• Wallace led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run (her fifth of the season), and three RBI, while Burdenski scored twice and went 1-for-2 with a home run (also her fifth of the season), a walk, and an RBI.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 2 (Carnegie Mellon 2, Brandeis 1)

• Brandeis threatened in the opening frame, as Hunt singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but the Judges were unable to bring her home.
• Carnegie Mellon struck early, scoring both of its runs in the first inning. After a single and a walk put two runners on, a ground-out advanced the runners before Madison Heimann delivered a two-run single to right field to give the Tartans a 2-0 lead.
• The Tartans continued to apply pressure over the middle innings, recording multiple hits in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, but Brandeis starter first-year Madeline Jennings (New York, N.Y./Beacon) and reliever Kannan worked out of trouble each time to keep the deficit at two.
• Brandeis broke through in the sixth inning, when Hunt and senior Maddie Manes (San Clemente, Calif./San Juan Hills) led off with back-to-back singles. Wallace followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Hunt and cutting the deficit to 2-1.
• The Judges had chances to add on, including a baserunner reaching on an error in the seventh, but were unable to capitalize as Carnegie Mellon's pitching held firm down the stretch.
• Jennings threw 4.2 innings, allowing only two earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts, while working out of multiple jams as the Tartans were held hitless with the bases loaded on four separate occasions. Despite the strong effort, she was charged with the loss and fell to 6-6 on the season.
• Kannan added 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to keep Brandeis within striking distance, but the early two-run inning proved to be the difference as the Judges fell, 2-1.
• After the RBI by Wallace, she now has 50 RBI this season, just the second 50-RBI season in program history.
• This is the Judges' first series win against the Tartans since 2023, improving their overall record against Carnegie Mellon to 15-7 .

 
UP NEXT

• The Judges return home to Waltham to face Washington University next week for a UAA series beginning with the annual Pride Game on Friday, Apr. 17th with a first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.