From Brandeis University Athletics
Brandeis University baseball coach Pete Varney reached the 700-win plateau for his career today as the Judges defeated visiting Worcester State University, 7-2, on Stein Diamond. Brandeis sophomore righthander Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) was masterful on the hill, tossing a complete-game three-hitter for the milestone win.
Varney, in his 34th year coaching the Judges, is the 13th active coach in Division III to reach 700 wins, and the 29th overall. He is only the fourth from the New England Division III ranks to make it. Varney's overall record now stands at 700-522-6.
Miller tossed his third complete game of the season to earn the win, and the first that lasted nine innings after two seven-inning games. He allowed two runs (one earned) on only three hits, striking out a career-high six batters while walking three.
After a two-out error in the top of the first, Miller retired 12 in a row. The streak was ended by a bunt single with two away in the fifth by WSU second baseman Zach George (Attleboro, Mass./Attleboro), who stole second. George was thrown out trying to take third as well, ending the inning. No other Lancer hitter would get past first base the rest of the way.
The visitors did jump ahead in the top of the first, scoring both of their runs on just one hit. Left-fielder Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, Mass./Northbridge) drew a one-out walk, and scored all the way from first on right-fielder Adam Barry's (Auburn, Mass./Holy Name) double that rolled to the wall in right-center. Barry dashed home from second two batters later, when a ball was booted by the second baseman, giving the Lancers a 2-0 lead.
Brandeis put single runners on in each of the first four innings against WSU starter Tyler Barrie (Worcester, Mass./Burncoat) before breaking through in the fifth. The Judges took advantage of two errors, with senior 2B Brian Allen (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic School) reaching on a ball booted at second to start the inning. Classmate 1B Kyle Brenner (Brookfield, Mass./St. Peter Marian) clubbed a double to the wall in right-center, allowing Allen to score from first. Junior catcher Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) laid down a bunt to move Brenner to first and reached as the ball skidded through Barrie's legs.
Worcester State got the first out of the inning by nailing Brenner at the plate on a ball hit to third base, but sophomore Ryan Tettemer (Westfield, Mass./Suffield Acad.) doubled to bring home Doyle with the tying run. The Judges went ahead when Barrie unleashed a wild pitch on ball four to rookie SS Nick Falkson (Dedham, Mass./Thayer Acad.), while junior Ryan Healy (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) singled up the middle to put the Judges ahead, 4-2.
The Judges added three insurance runs in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Greg Heineman (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) and a two-run pinch double by rookie Ryan Pocock (Westford, Mass./Westford). Miller then shut the door on the Lancers, retiring six of the last seven batters he faced.
Brandeis had three multiple hitters, paced by three each from Heineman and Brenner. Five different Judges drove in runs, with Pocock's two-run double the only hit that produced more than one RBI.