BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - The Brandeis University baseball team plated five runs in the ninth inning to overcome a one-run deficit as the visiting Judges knocked off Bridgewater State College, 9-5, this afternoon from Alumni Park in Bridgewater.
Brandeis improves to 5-7 with the win as they put an end to a three-game skid. Bridgewater falls to 5-5 as the Bears have dropped three straight.
Trailing 5-4 entering the ninth inning, Brandeis put runners on first and second with two outs when Tony Deshler (Pepperell, MA) lined a single up the middle to tie the game up at 5-5. After Nick Gallagher (Southboro, MA) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, NY) stroked a bases-clearing double to the ally in left-center field to give the Judges a three-run lead. Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, ME) capped off the inning with an RBI single scoring Chu from second.
James Collins (South Boston, MA) earned the win in relief as he allowed just a hit and a walk in 2 2/3 innings of work. Collins got the final two outs of the seventh inning and kept BSC off the scoreboard in the eighth and ninth.
Brandeis opened the scoring in the second inning when Sean O'Hare (Southampton, MA) launched a three-run homer to left. BSC chipped away with single runs in both the second and fourth innings as Seob Yoon (Tokyo, Japan) plated both runs with an RBI double and an RBI single.
Brandeis got a run back in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by John O'Brion (Portland, ME).
Down 4-2, Bridgewater rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh. With one away, consecutive singles by David Dole (West Bridgewater, MA), Jeff Poupolo (Brockton, MA) and Greg Steele (North Dighton, MA) pulled BSC to within a run. David Kiloski (Lowell, MA) then reached on a fielding error by the first baseman who compounded the miscue by throwing wildly to second allowing Poupolo to score the tying run.
With runners at the corners, Brian Medairos (Brockton, MA) knocked in Steele with the go ahead run as he reached on a fielder's choice groundout. Medairos hustled down the line easily beating out the throw to first on the attempted double play.
Pat Nicholson (East Walpole, MA) went the first 6 1/3 innings for Brandeis allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Jeff Sarahs (Whitman, MA) got the start for BSC and worked into the eighth. In seven plus innings of work, Sarahs gave up four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out four. Poupolo suffered the loss for the Bears in relief as he was touched for all five runs in the ninth inning.
Deshler went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run and an RBI to lead the Judge's nine-hit attack. Livada finished 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.
Yoon paced the Bears with two hits in four at bats as he registered the two RBI. Dole finished 2-for-3 while J.T. Mooney (North Attleboro, MA) also had multiple hits as she went 2-for-5 with a double. All told, the Bears banged out ten hits in the loss.
Bridgewater returns to the diamond on Sunday afternoon as the Bears host a doubleheader with Husson College starting at noon. Brandeis travels to Rhode Island College on Friday for a three o'clock game with the Anchormen.