From Brandeis University Athletics/Bates College Athletics
The Brandeis University softball team (8-9) earned its first two wins since returning from Florida two weeks ago as the Judges traveled to Bates College (1-7) and swept the Bobcats, 8-0 in five innings and 12-2 in the full seven.
In the opener, the Judges were led by sophomore Samantha Wroblewski (Delray Beach, Fla./Spanish River), who tossed a five-inning complete game. She allowed just one hit, an infield single to the Bobcats' Emma Schiller (Natick, Mass.) in the third inning. Ten of her 15 outs came by way of strikeout, matching her career-high.
Brandeis scored three in the top of the third, when senior Amanda Genovese (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) notched a two-out triple down the third base line and sophomore Leah Shapiro (Beverly Hills, Calif./Beverly Hills) followed with a walk. Genovese scored on a wild-pitch that moved Shapiro to second. Senior Anya Kamber (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline) and junior Madison Sullivan (Dover, N.H./Dover) followed with a single and a double, respectively, to give Brandeis the 3-0 lead.
Bobcat starter Kelsey Freedman (Falmouth, Maine) held the Judges to one run in the fourth, but Brandeis opened things up with four runs in the fifth, highlighted by RBI doubles from Kamber and sophomore Allison Hecht(Melville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East). Senior Jordan Buscetto (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) added a two-run single to put Brandeis ahead at 8-0.
Buscetto led Brandeis in game one, going 3-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Kamber and Sullivan also had multi-hit games, each going 2-3 with a pair of RBI's. Senior Kira Shaikh (Manchester, Conn.) and first-year Paige Ahlholm (North Andover, Mass.) both drew free passes for Bates.
Freedman scattered ten hits over five innings, striking out four and allowing only one free pass.
In the second game, senior Nikki Cote (Shelton, Conn./St. Joseph's) was in the circle for the Judges, earning the win while also driving in the game-winning runs. Bates starting pitcher Brenna Callahan (Milton, Mass.) matched Cote early, holding Brandeis to one run on three hits over the first four innings and the Bobcats carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the fifth, but the Judges scored 11 runs on 12 hits over the final three frames to seal the win.
Emma Schiller got things started early for the Bobcats, leading off the bottom of the first with a double to the gap in left center field. Karen Lockhart moved Schiller up with a sacrifice bunt, and Freedman brought her home with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Judges tied the game in the top of second, when junior Danielle Novotny (Milford, N.J./Delaware Valley) tripled home Buscetto, who had drawn a one out walk. Bates regained the lead in the fourth as Ahlholm singled to center and took second on a passed ball. Sophomore Maddie Inlow (Falmouth, Maine) reached on a fielder's choice, but Ahlholm came around to score when the ball got by the first baseman to give Bates the 2-1 advantage.
Brandeis scored three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth highlighted by a two run single from Cote. In the top of the sixth, Sullivan and Hecht each notched RBI doubles to give the Judges a 7-2 lead. In the final frame, Brandeis scored five runs on four hits, including a two run single by Kamber and two-run double from Novotny.
Schiller led Bates with two hits and a run scored in game two, with Karen Lockhart (East Greenwich, R.I.), Paige Ahlholm, and Victoria Fitzgerald (Holliston, Mass.) each recording one hit. Freedman recorded an RBI for the Bobcats.
Kamber led Brandeis with a 4-5 performance and a pair of RBI in game two, while Novotny was 2-4 with three RBI's. Sullivan, Hecht, and Buscetto also recorded multi-hit games for the Judges.
Genovese had four stolen bases on the day, two in each game, giving her 117 for her career. She moved into sole possession of 15th on the Division III career list.