NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Brandeis University baseball team dropped an 8-6 decision today in its 2022 season opener against Anna Maria College at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Massachusetts. The Judges fall to 0-1, while the AMCats improve to 1-0.
Brandeis fell behind early and could never quite get over the hump. AMC scored three unearned runs in the first two innings against Brandeis graduate student Mason Newman (New Rochelle, N.Y. / New Rochelle). They scored on a wild pitch and a Nick Genatossio single in the first, though it could have been worse as Newman left the bases loaded. A hit batter, steal of second and an error in the second led to the AMCats' third run.
Brandeis got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI single by graduate student Mike Khoury (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) and an error on a ball hit to left by grad student Dan Frey (Ipswich, Mass. / St. John's Prep). AMC answered in the bottom of the inning when Gennatosio led off with a home run to center field that made it 4-2.
The Judges cut into their deficit again in the fifth without benefit of a hit, as two walks and two hit batters, the last to junior 3B Brian King (Palos Verde, Calif. / Palos Verde) with the bases loaded to plate Brandeis's third run. AMC pitcher Joe Dorman induced a grounder to short to escape further damage. AMC expanded their lead in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by Jarrod Marifiote, then expanded it to 8-3 on an RBI double by James Powers and an RBI single by Jeremy Rosenberg in the bottom of the sixth.
Brandeis climbed back into the game in the seventh thanks to RBI doubles by King and graduate student Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif. / Chaminade) that made it 8-5. In the eighth, the Judges loaded the bases with one out and scored a run on a hot shot to first by Frey, but a nice defensive play by the AMC first baseman retired the hitter and kept more than one run from scoring, as the AMCats retired King to escape further damage. Senior Liam Kennedy (Norwell, Mass / Milton Academy) hit a pinch double with two outs in the ninth, but the Judges could not convert it into any runs for the 8-6 final.
AMC outhit Brandeis, 11-10, but four costly Judge errors led to four unearned runs. Newman suffered the loss on the hill, allowing six hits and six runs (three runs). He struck out five and did not walk a batter but hit three with pitches in 4.2 innings of work. The Brandeis bullpen combined to allow just five hits and two runs (one earned) in 3.2 frames, striking out six and walking two. Offensively, junior left fielder Sam Nugent (Mansfield, Mass. / Mansfield) led the way with three of the team's 10 hits, scoring two runs and stealing a base. King went 1-4 with two RBI, a double, and a run scored.
Anna Maria had four players with two hits each. Michael Shorey earned the win as the starter in a whole-staff game, with three innings of three-hit ball, allowing two runs (one earned) with one walk and one strikeout.
Brandeis returns to action on Saturday at noon when the host Babson College at the NEBC.