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Big Innings Propel Judges to Sweep of Whittier

Big Innings Propel Judges to Sweep of Whittier

From Brandeis University Athletics

The Brandeis University softball team batted around once in each half of a doubleheader today, propelling the Judges to a sweep of host Whittier College, 7-3 and 13-8, on their West Coast trip. The Judges improve to 3-1 on the season, while the Poets fall to 2-2.

In the first game, Brandeis put up a five-spot in the second inning as eight of their nine batters reached base. Rookie catcher Tara Striggow (Cape Coral, Fla./Cape Coral) and senior 2B Brianna Urena (Somerset, Mass./Somerset Berkeley Regional) opened the scoring with bases-loaded RBI singles. After Whittier got the first out on a strikeout, rookie RF Lily Medici (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown North) delivered another hit that drove in a run. An infield grounder delivered the second out on a force at home, but sophomore 3B Marley Felder (Miami, Fla./American Heritage School) drove in two more before the Poets cut down a runner on the basepaths to escape the inning.   

Whittier reliever Alexis Vargas kept the Judges' bats at bay for the next four innings as they attempted to climb back against Brandeis sophomore starter Sydney Goldman (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame). The Poets scored one in the fourth on solo homer by SS Jannelle Ha, then added two more in the sixth on a two-run single by catcher Naomi Martinez. Goldman stranded runners on second and third to avoid further damage. Brandeis got the two runs back in the top of the seventh on another two-run hit by Felder, who delivered a career-high four RBI.

Goldman picked up the win, to improve to 2-0 on the season and 16-2 in her career with her 18th career complete game. She allowed seven hits and three runs, striking out four and walking two.

In the second game, the Judges produced an even bigger inning, snapping a 3-3 tie in the fourth winning by sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs. The big blows in the inning were a two-run double by Felder and a three-run home run by Striggow, the first of her career. It was Striggow's second hit of the inning, as she led off with a single and scored the inning's first run on a Whittier error. With a solo home run by junior CF Melissa Rothenberg (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) from the third inning included in the scoring, the Judges hoped to wrap things up early with a 12-3 lead.

Whittier avoided the game ending early by scoring twice in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Ha and 2B Sierra Rodriguez. The Poets kept the Brandeis bats quiet until the seventh inning, when junior SS Jolie Fujita (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) delivered a two-out RBI single. The hosts got three runs back in the bottom of the seventh, thanks in large part to a Brandeis error, but sophomore Amidori Anderson (Sparks, Nev./Spanish River) shut the door to earn the win with four strong innings of relief. She gave up just four hits and no earned runs to even her record at 1-1 this season.

Four different players had multiple hits for the Judges, including Striggow (2-4, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Felder (3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2Bs). In addition to her home run, Rothenberg crossed the plate three additional times to finish with four runs scored.

Across the two games, Felder was 5-9 (.556) with two doubles, two runs scored and six RBI.