After winning three of its first four games in North Carolina, the Brandeis softball team struggled against Salem College on Tuesday, Feb. 20 suffering a pair of losses.  The Judges have yet to play a University Athletic Association conference game this season and currently sit at 3-3 overall moving into the heart of the season. 

 

Judges 0, Salem 8

The Judges dropped their second game of the day against a formidable Salem College by a score of 8-0.  First baseman Amanda Shore ’18 and shortstop Jolie Fujita ’21 had the only hits for Brandeis in the shutout.

Starting pitcher Callie MacDonald ’20 struggled in the loss as she fell to 1-2 on the year.  The second-year hurler allowed eight runs (six earned) off seven hits and five walks.  However, after a very solid rookie campaign including the second-lowest ERA on the team, fans should expect her to bounce back quickly.

 

Judges 1, Salem 2

Brandeis lost in an extra-innings nail-biter in their first game of the day, falling to Salem College 2-1 in eight innings. 

Out of the three-spot, Fujita came through again with a single and an RBI for the game.  Shore was equally impressive for the Judges, going two for three to help lead the way offensively.  Outfielder Marissa DeLaurentis ’19 tallied two hits as well.

Pitcher Scottie Todd ’20 was dominant in this one but came away with the loss.  The second-year stud tossed 7.2 innings, allowing only one earned run and striking out two.  The loss was her first on the season.

While the Judges are on a two-game losing streak, the team and fans alike have a lot to be excited about this season.  Through six games, Brandeis has totaled 47 runs from an astounding .395 batting average, .477 on-base percentage and .545 slugging percentage. These numbers are remarkable, and they put the team in position to be a powerhouse squad in the conference this season at the plate.

Furthermore, the Judges’ pitching staff has been equally impressive.  Through 38 innings, the team has combined for a 3.50 ERA with 19 strikeouts.  For comparison, their opponents have totaled a combined 6.81 ERA against them.  These stellar pitching statistics should come as no surprise to avid fans after watching Todd in her first season last year.  Todd had one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in Brandeis history, with a 9-5 record (including nine complete games), 1.41 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 94.1 innings pitched.  With the outstanding one-two punch of Todd and MacDonald, the Brandeis pitching staff is in very capable hands.

While Brandeis has a plethora of talent and has put up some gaudy numbers from the start, the team will be looking to improve upon their results from last year.  In particular, the team will look to improve in conference play after totaling a 4-9 record against UAA opponents.  Last April, the team struggled against Washington University in St. Louis, dropping four straight games against them on April 21 and April 22.  The Judges are clearly playing in a very tough conference, but they have the talent and camaraderie to rally together and match up against any opponent this year.

Looking ahead, the game today at Framingham State University was postponed and rescheduled for March 20.  A home doubleheader against Clark University, originally scheduled for March 17 was also rescheduled to March 23.  After the Framingham State game on March 20 and the double header on the 23rd, they will head back home for another doubleheader on Tuesday, March 27, against Gordon College.

Although the team hasn’t played in a month, this season should continue to be an exciting and successful campaign for Brandeis softball as they look to assert their dominance in UAA and Division III play.