With the bases loaded and the score tied at four in the sixth inning of the second game of a doubleheader against Worcester Polytechnic Institute last Wednesday, the softball team wasn't able to capitalize and score the go-ahead run. When the same situation arose in the seventh and final inning, third baseman Danielle Lavallee '11 made sure the Judges wouldn't waste their opportunity again.Lavallee walked on four pitches, sending pinch-runner Erin Thorn '11 home for the winning run to give Brandeis a 5-4 victory.

"For a [rookie] to be in that situation and have that discipline and that patience I think is a great thing to see," coach Jessica Johnson said.

The Judges also won 9-1 in the first game of the doubleheader, which ended in five innings. Their record is now 8-7-1 on the season, and they are above .500 for the first time since March 13, when they were 4-3.

Last Friday's doubleheader against Framingham State College was rescheduled to April 23 due to rain, while last Saturday's doubleheader against Clark University was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled. A doubleheader against Regis College yesterday was postponed when Regis did not have enough players to field a team.

WPI struck in the first inning of the second game when junior center fielder Nicole Maglione homered off pitcher Natalie Volpe '08. WPI added another run in the third on senior third baseman Nicole DeCampo's single to take a 2-0 lead.

"They adjusted to our pitching quicker than we did [to theirs]," Johnson said. "They started off with a home run, and that was a well-hit ball, and I think that kind of set the tone for them."

Volpe gave up two more runs in the top of the fifth inning before pitcher Kate Streilein '08 relieved her. With runners on first and second base, Streilein retired the next two batters to escape the jam.

"I think that's another good experience for [Streilein], where she can kind of tuck that away and say 'You know, I can come in in this situation and get the job done,'" Johnson said.

But the Judges rallied in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Courtney Kelley '11 had an RBI double, and a wild pitch three batters later scored Kelley and cut the Engineers' lead to 4-2. Outfielder Victoria Roomet '09 scored on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Erin Ross '10 two at-bats later, and another wild pitch on the next at-bat sent center fielder Carly Schmand '11 home to tie the score at four.

Schmand struck out swinging with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning, but the Judges threatened again in the seventh. With runners on second and third base, Streilein walked, and Lavallee followed with the game-winning walk.

"We've been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of those games this year where it came down to the seventh inning, and for [most of them], we've been on the good side of it," Johnson said.

In the first game, Streilein surrendered just two hits, one of which was a solo home run by DeCampo, in four innings before pitcher Allie Mussen '10 closed the game in the fifth inning.

After DeCampo's first-inning home run, the Judges answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Ross and shortstop Chelsea Korp '10 posted back-to-back hits with one out, and Streilein singled through the right side to drive in Ross. A throwing error by senior pitcher Heather Hassett scored Korp, and an RBI single by Volpe drove home Streilein and extended the lead to 3-1.

Brandeis pushed the lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning before a solo home run to center field by Streilein and a two-run blast by Kelley to left field capped the 9-1 win.

"We are kind of a team that feeds off of each other, so with the home run to me and [Streilein] and other people's constant hits, we just had a really good way of starting the momentum when we could," Kelley said.

The Judges have four more doubleheaders this week. They play Lassell College today at 3 p.m. and Trinity College today at 4:30 p.m., before doubleheaders at Suffolk College Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., and the University of Massachusetts at Boston Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The Judges then return home for doubleheaders against Amherst College Friday at 4 p.m. and Salve Regina University Saturday at noon.