The women’s softball team was in Altamonte Springs, Fla. this past week for the University Athletic Association conference tournament. The squad had a strong showing at the tournament, finishing the week with a 6-4 record, good enough to place second overall. The Judges started the week strong, defeating conference foes University of Rochester, New York University and Case Western Reserve University. The team carried that momentum into the weekend, where they seized victory in three of their final five games. 

Judges 5, Emory 13

The Judges struggled mightily in their final game, falling to UAA powerhouse Emory University. 

The Eagles came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, mounting an 8-1 lead by the end of the third inning. Though Brandeis mustered up a counterattack of their own in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs, the Eagles were able to immediately respond with four of their own in the top of the seventh on their way to an easy victory over the Judges. 

The Eagles’ balanced offensive attack was led by freshman shortstop Cassie Baca and junior third-baseman Melody Carter. Baca and Carter both finished with a home run and a double, combining for five hits and four runs batted in. 

The Judges’ offensive attack was led by infielders Madison Sullivan ’16 and Liana Moss ’17. Sullivan and Moss combined for three of the Judges’ five runs batted in. Beyond Sullivan and Moss, however, the Judges struggled greatly to generate consistent offense. 

The victory brings the Eagles to an impressive 21-1 on the year and 10-0 at the UAA conference tournament. With the victory, the Eagles seize the tournament championship. The loss brings the Judges to 8-7 overall and 6-4 in Florida, resulting in a second-place tournament finish, the team’s highest finish since 2010. 

Judges 8, Case 4

In contrast to their matchup against the Eagles, the Judges turned the tables on Case on Saturday, mounting a 7-0 lead by the end of the second inning. 

Case responded with three runs of their own in the third inning, but found their early deficit insurmountable. The Judges offensive onslaught was guided by catcher Keri Lehtonen ’19 and infielder Sullivan. The two combined for six of the Judges’ eight runs batted in, each finishing the game with a home run. 

Case was led by sophomore first-baseman Grace Tritchler, who finished the game with a home run, a double and three runs batted in. Case struggled most on the mound, with junior pitcher Annie Wennerberg lasting only 1.2 innings to start the game. She was pulled after giving up a quick seven runs.

Judges 4, NYU 3

The Judges claimed victory in a close battle with NYU on Friday morning. The squad fell behind 2-0 after second inning but used a 2-run fourth to take the lead heading into the sixth inning. The Judges traded runs with NYU in the sixth but had enough in the tank to ultimately claim a narrow win. 

Sullivan and Moss again led the Judges’ offensive performance, combining for two home runs and three of the team’s four runs batted in. Moss also finished with a double, adding to her already impressive tournament stat-line. Pitcher Sadie-Rose Apfel ’18 had a strong performance on the mound for the Judges, giving up a mere three runs (two earned) in her impressive complete-game outing. 

The victory brought the Judges to 7-6 on the year and 5-3 in the tournament. For NYU, the loss dropped them to 4-8 overall and 3-5 in Florida. 

After the hardships of the tournament, Moss spoke of the team’s endurance, saying “This team has clearly proven that we possess the skill, passion and grit to get it done ... What you cannot see from the numbers on the page is the tenacity, effort, spirit and togetherness of this team.”

Looking ahead, the Judges look to build on their momentum as they take on Clark University in a double-header on Saturday.