From Brandeis University/Trinity College Athletics
Brandeis sophomore lefty Greg Tobin (Medway, Mass./Catholic Memorial) struck out nine while allowing just one run in his first collegiate complete game today as the Judges defeated the Trinity College Bantams, 5-1, at Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium. The Judges improve to 2-6 on the season, while the Bantams fall to the same record.
Tobin scattered eight hits in improving to 1-1 on the season.
Brandeis struck first in the top of the first when rookie 1B Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy) singled up the middle to score sophomore SS Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif./Chaminade) who reached on a base hit of his own earlier in the inning. Both pitchers held strong for the next four innings before trading runs in the sixth to make it a 2-1 ballgame in favor of the Judges.
Brandeis took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth when sophomore RF Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, Mass./Lynnfield) drove home rookie CF Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. John's Prep) on a two-out, RBI-single. The Bantams chipped away at the deficit in the home half when senior CF Christian Orsini (Livingston, N.J.) led things off with a triple to the right-centerfield gap before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to left field. Sophomore SS Matt Koperniak (Adams, Mass.) kept the line moving with a base hit but Tobin limited the damage to the lone run, his only blemish on the day, to keep the lead at 2-1.
The Judges put up a two-spot in the seventh thanks to an RBI single by rookie 2B Scott Ziegler (Avon, Conn./Avon Old Farms) and a fielder's choice RBI from Frey to open up a 4-1 lead. The Bantams went hitless in the seventh and eighth innings before Frey scored in the top of the ninth to make it a 5-1 game in favor of the visitors. Trinity made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth, leading off with singles by Koperniak and first-year DH Eric Thronson (McLean, Va.), but Tobin retired the side after that to seal the four-run victory.
Seven Judges accounted for the team's 10 hits, paced by Fossas, who went 3-5 with an RBI and Oppenheimer who was 2-5 with a run scored. O'Leary drove in two runs, while Frey and rookie catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) each tripled and rookie DH Alex Parrott (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) doubled.
Orsini and sophomore Koperniak were the only two Bantams to record multiple hits. Orsini finished 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base and a run, while Koperniak went 3-for-4 in his fourth multi-hit game of the spring. Trinity rookie starter Justin Olson (Avon, Conn.) went six innings in the loss, allowing three earned while striking out four.