Posted: Mar 31, 2017
From Brandeis University Athletics
Brandeis University softball sophomore Marysa Massoia (Feeding Hills, Mass./Suffield Acad.) delivered a two-run pinch-hit single in the bottom of the fifth inning, just before umpires called the game because of snow – giving the Judges a 4-2 win over visiting Case Western Reserve in the first-ever University Athletic Association contest played on campus at Brandeis.
HOW IT HAPPENED – EARLY INNINGS
- The game was a pitcher's duel through the first four innings, with Brandeis rookie Scottie Todd(Tampa, Fla./Strawberry Crest) and CWRU senior Annie Wennerberg (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake) working in and out of trouble.
- Each team left runners in scoring position throughout the first four frames.
- In the second, Wennerberg got back-to-back strikeouts to strand Todd at third after she doubled to lead off the inning and was bunted to third.
- In the top of the fourth, the Spartans loaded the bases with one out, but Todd got back-to-back grounders to third base, including a force at home, to escape damage.
HOW IT HAPPENED – TOP OF THE FIFTH
- The visitors finally broke through in the top of the fifth.
- With one away, Todd hit a batter.
- Sophomore shortstop Nicole Doyle (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon) followed with a single to the hole in short.
- Junior 2B Maren Waldner (Redondo Beach, Calif./Chadwick) followed with a hard single to center that drove in the first run.
- After Waldner stole second, junior 1B Grace Trichler (San Antonio, Texas/Winston Churchill) plated Doyle with a sacrifice fly to left.
- Todd got a foul pop to end the inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED – BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH
- In the bottom of the fifth, the Judges' offense took advantage of Case wildness to get back on track.
- With two away, sophomore LF Marissa DeLaurentis (Centereach, N.Y. / St.John the Baptist Diocesesan) walked and rookie 3B PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H./Sanborn Regional) singled to right, putting runners on the corners.
- Case coach Josie Henry then summoned junior Katie Dzierwa (Brookfield, Ill./Lyons Township) to the circle.
- Dzierwa issued walks to all three hitters she faced, with free passes to rookies Taylor Simala (Wellsburg, W. Va./Brooke) and Caroline Sippin (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) tying the game at 2-2.
- Wennerberg returned to the circle, and Brandeis coach Danielle DelPonte countered with Massoia, who ripped a line drive to left-center to plate the winning runs.
WEATHER CONCLUSION
- After Wennerberg hit the next batter, the umpires determined that the snow was falling too hard to continue.
- Because the game had reached regulation and the Judges were ahead, the game was declared finished by the UAA code of conduct.
- The second game between Brandeis and Case Western Reserve scheduled for today will not be played, and the two teams will meet again on Sunday with a 1 p.m. scheduled start.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Case's Waldner was the only player with two hits in the contest, going 2-3 with an RBI.
- Brandeis's DeLaurentis reached base in all three of her plate appearances, with a single and two walks.
- Todd's double in the second was the game's only extra-base hit.
- Todd improved to 4-1 in the circle after allowing six hits and two runs in five innings of work.
- Dzierwa suffered the loss to fall to 2-4, allowing two earned runs and walking all three hitters she faced.
- Wennerberg threw 4.2 innings of work, allowing six hits and two earned runs. She struck out four and walked four.
THE UAA
- This was the first-ever UAA home game for Brandeis.
- Prior to 2017, the conference had hosted all of its league games in Florida during a week in March.
- This is second weekend of UAA action for Case Western Reserve, who was at Emory last weekend.