With no balls, two strikes and two outs in the final inning of the second game of a doubleheader against Salve Regina University last Saturday, relief pitcher Natalie Volpe '08 was on the verge of giving the softball team its longest winning streak in 24 years. On the next pitch, Volpe struck out junior pinch hitter Amaran Garbisch swinging to complete the Judges' 3-0 victory. "Pitching did a heck of a job [last Saturday], and the bats came through at the right time," coach Jessica Johnson said.

The win, which came after the Judges earned a 1-0 victory in the first game, was Brandeis' 10th straight, tying the school record set during the 1984 season. The team is now 16-7-1 this season, including two shutout victories at the University of Massachusetts at Boston last Thursday, a pair of wins against Suffolk University last Wednesday and victories against Trinity College and Lasell College last Tuesday.

Today's doubleheader against Amherst College, postponed due to rain last Friday, ended too late for this edition.

Seahawks rookie pitcher Nicole Whitney retired the first 10 Brandeis batters in the second game, but after catcher Erin Ross '10 doubled in the fourth inning, pitcher Kate Streilein '08 sent her home with another double to right-center field that gave the Judges the 1-0 lead. Streilein advanced to third base on an error by Whitney, and Volpe bunted Streilein home for the second run.

"I'm probably one of the slowest people on our team, so I don't really bunt often unless it is in a suicide situation," Volpe said. "But I have no problem bunting and getting that run in, because it's a huge run for us."

After third baseman Danielle Lavallee '11 moved Volpe to second on a groundout, left fielder Samantha Worth '09 hit an RBI single to right field to increase Brandeis' lead to 3-0.

Starting for the second straight game, Streilein allowed just three hits in five innings, and only one Salve Regina runner even reached second base. She hurled 12 shutout innings over the two games, improving her record to 9-3 this season.

"I was just moving the ball in and out . to keep them off balance," Streilein said.

Volpe entered in the sixth inning to relieve Streilein and sent down all six batters she faced for her first save of the season.

"All the pitchers on our team talk, and we share each other's knowledge of where the batters are, what they're hitting, what they're not hitting, what the umpires are calling and everything," Volpe said. "So I asked [Streilein], and I talked to [Ross]. I was like, 'What's working?' and they told me."

In the first game, Streilein did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, when she surrendered a two-out single to sophomore designated hitter Kristen Danubio.

Salve Regina sophomore pitcher Sarah Jakiela also did not allow a hit going into the fourth inning, but with two outs, Streilein singled up the middle. After Volpe walked, Lavallee hit an RBI dou-



ble, scoring Streilein to give the Judges a 1-0 lead.

"[Jakiela] does a good job of hitting her spots, keeping [the pitches] in and outside, and then the changeup had us off-balance," Johnson said. "We were fortunate enough to put somebody on and then [get] her across, so it worked out well, but she definitely . took it to us."

That was all Brandeis needed offensively, as the Seahawks had just one other player reach base over the final three innings. Streilein retired the last six batters to earn the two-hit shutout.

Earlier in the week, Brandeis outscored its opponents 41-3 over six games. In last Thursday's 14-0 and 9-0 victories at UMass-Boston, outfielder Victoria Roomet '09 had six RBIs, and pitchers Emily Vaillette '10 and Allie Mussen '10 each won their starts.

The Judges also swept a doubleheader against Suffolk last Wednesday. Mussen won her first game of the season in a 10-1 victory in the second game, while Streilein garnered a 1-0 shutout in the first game.

"Streaks are always nice," Johnson said. "I think the big thing is that we had a lot of games in a row, and for us to keep the focus even with the weather, with the rainout yesterday, to come back today and battle was . nice to see that we're putting it all together and getting the wins."

Brandeis will try to continue its streak with doubleheaders against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Wednesday at 3 p.m. and at home against Bates College Saturday at 11 a.m.