CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Brandeis University baseball team bounced back from a 6-0 loss in the first game of a doubleheader to defeat the Spartans, 7-5, and clinch at least a split of the four-game University Athletic Association (UAA) road series. The Judges now sit at 15-18, 3-12 in the UAA, while the Spartans are 21-13, 6-7 UAA.
In their win, Brandeis got a terrific start from sophomore righty Mason Newman (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle). Newman went seven strong innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs. He walked two and struck out one, throwing 61 of his 95 pitches for strikes. He improved to 3-4 on the campaign.
CWRU got to Newman early, with a single by second baseman Rocco Maue, followed by an RBI triple by third baseman Jacob Kucia and a run-producing hit by catcher Tyler Wypiszenski that made it 2-0 in the first. Newman settled down to retire 10 of the next 12 Spartan hitters.
Brandeis tied the game with three two-out hits in the third inning. Sophomore third baseman Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) started it with a single, and he scored all the way from first on a double by classmate first baseman Isaac Fossas (Dudley, Mass./Milton Academy). After a wild pitch, Fossas came home on a single by sophomore centerfielder Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St. Johns Prep).
The hosts went back ahead in the bottom of the fifth on a lead-off walk, a sacrifice bunt and a single up the middle by leftfielder Jake Ryan. Brandeis responded in their next turn at the plate, as Frey led off with a double and scored on a single to left by sophomore left fielder Tommy Sand (So. Windsor, Conn./So. Windsor).
The Judges broke things open with two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings. Fossas produced another RBI double in the seventh, driving in two runs. In the eighth, it was Khoury's turn with a key bases-loaded two-out single up the middle that plated two. The insurance runs proved key, as Case would score two in the ninth, when the loaded the bases on walks with one out. Jake Ryan plated two runs with a single to left, but Brandeis rookie Marc Maestri (Katonah, N.Y./Somers) shut the door with a pair of fly outs to complete the win.
Khoury (3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B), Fossas (2-5, R, 3 RBI, 2 2B) and Frey (2-4, R, RBI, 2B) were the big hitters, combining to go 7-13 with six RBI, four runs and four doubles between them for the Judges. Ryan (3-5, 3 RBI) was the top bat for CWRU.
The Spartans took the opener, 6-0, holding Brandeis to six hits, all singles. Case got all the scoring they would need in the second inning on a bases-loaded balk by Brandeis junior starter Kyle Shedden (Spencer, Mass./David Prouty). The Spartans would add single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and two more in the eighth to complete the win. Starter Nick Denove went the distance for CWRU, striking out six and not walking a batter. Shedden took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season. Wypiszienski (3-3, 2 RBI, 2 2B) wielded the big bat for the home team
Brandeis and Case Western Reserve will meet tomorrow at noon in the series finale.