NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Brandeis University senior Cam Roberts (Leominster, Mass./Nashoba Regional) was part of an outstanding bullpen effort for the Judges and added a key hit in the game-winning rally to boot as the Judges defeated Babson College, 6-5 in 12 innings, at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass., today. With the win, the Judges improve to 1-1 on the season, while the Beavers fall to 2-2.
After the Judges fell behind, 5-0, after the top of the sixth, the bullpen took over, holding Babson off the board for the final six frames. Meanwhile, the Judges rallied with three runs in the sixth and one each in the seventh and the ninth before the game-winning rally in the 12th.
In the top of the 12th, Roberts looked to be in trouble when, with one out, Babson shortstop Jack Pirkl launched a single to right that was overrun, allowing him to advance all the way to third. Roberts inducted a liner to first base and a fly to left to strand the runner at third. In Brandeis's half of the inning, with one out, grad student 2B Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif./Chaminade) singled up the middle. He moved to second on a wild pitch. That brought Roberts to the plate, as the Judges had double-switched earlier in the game and lost their DH. In his first collegiate plate appearance, Roberts grounded a ball to the right of the first baseman. The Babson defender made a nice play to stop the ball, but the pitcher failed to cover first, giving Roberts the hit and putting runners on the corners with one down. Sophomore SS Nick Heafey (Florence, Mass. / Williston-Northampton School) followed with a slow bouncer to short that was enough to get a force at second, but not to complete the double play as Oppenheimer raced home and scored with a head-first slide.
Oppenheimer was also a key factor in two other scoring innings for the Judges. In the sixth inning, he doubled home Brandeis's first two runs with a ground-rule two-bagger to right. The Judges tacked on a third run in that frame when junior LF Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass. / Mansfield) drew a bases-loaded walk. In the bottom of the ninth, against Babson closer Stephen McClendon, Oppenheimer delivered the game-tying RBI. He plated senior catcher Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown), who was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a double by junior 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif. / Palos Verde). King's fly ball down the right-field line just eluded the grasp of two Babson defenders. King also drove in a run in the seventh, singling home grad student CF Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass./St Johns Prep), who had tripled with two away.
Babson had jumped out to its 5-0 lead thanks to a solo home run by DH Justin Guest in the second inning, a sacrifice fly by catcher Francis Kiely and a two-run double by RF Sean Burychka in the fifth, and a Tanner Santos sac fly in the sixth. The Beavers had runners in every inning but one after that, but the Brandeis bullpen was able to work out of trouble each time.
The Judges relievers (grad student Donnie Weisse III, junior Asher Kaplan, senior Gavin Dauer, first-year James Murphy and Roberts) combined to throw 7.2 innings of six-hit ball, allowing just one earned run and striking out five. Roberts earned the win, his first of the season and the fifth of his career, to improve to 1-0 on the campaign. He fanned two and allowed just one hit with a hit batter in three innings, the longest of the relievers' stints.
Offensively, the Judges were led by Frey (4-6, 2R, 3B), King (3-6, R, RBI, 2B) and Oppenheimer (2-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI). Nine different Brandeis players combined for the team's 15 hits.
Babson got a strong start by Tristen Spalter, who went 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs, striking out three and not walking a batter. McLendon was saddled with the loss, allowing three hits and two runs in his 3.2 innings of work, striking out five and walking none but hitting a batter. Guest's homer was the Beavers' only extra-base hit, while Pirkl and Burychka each had three hits.
This was the 59th meeting between Brandeis and Babson, the third-most-played rivalry in Brandeis history, but the first since 2010. The Judges now lead the series, 36-23.
Brandeis returns to action tomorrow when they face #14 Wheaton College at the NEBC. The Lyons, coached by Eric Podbelski '91, have not met the Judges since 2011.