Brandeis rookie pitcher Melissa Nolan '14 proved to be the Nolan Ryan of the University Athletic Association softball tournament last Sunday as she tossed a no-hitter in a 9-0 Judges win over Case Western Reserve University. The win snapped Brandeis' three-game losing streak, and was a fantastic end to what had otherwise been a rough week for the Judges."[Nolan] has done a great a job-it could be nerve-wracking, going out there for the first time in college, and she played great, I thought she did a great job, I think she's done a great job," said second baseman Melissa Cagar '11.

Nolan is the first Brandeis pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Emily Vaillette '10 threw one on April 2, 2009. She allowed just three base runners from two walks and an error. The Judges scored five runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and tacked on three more in the sixth.

The softball team played eight games in total on the week, finishing at 3-5, 2-3 in the UAA.

The Judges struggled in the game before Nolan's no-hitter, falling to the University of Rochester, which avenged an earlier loss to Brandeis with an 8-2 win. The Judges failed to cash in on scoring opportunities as they loaded the bases in the first inning, and had runners on first and second base with one out in the second, but failed to score both times.

Brandeis also fell earlier last Saturday, dropping to No. 10 Emory 12-0. Emory scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back. The Judges only managed two hits for the entire game, while conceding 10 to undefeated Emory. Pitcher Caroline Miller '12 struggled throughout the day against one of the top offenses in the country, but she was not alone. Emory outscored its opponents 57-3 in UAA play throughout the week.

"I think we need to make sure that we [keep] the balance, making sure we compensate if one part, pitching or hitting, is not doing playing well, so if we are not hitting well, we have to pitch well and play good defense," said Cagar.

Last Thursday's game against Case was a thriller, as the Judges put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win 9-6. Brandeis was down 3-0 by the end of the first inning, only to come back in the second with 5 runs. The sixth run came in the third inning, when center fielder Lauren Porcaro '12 got an infield single, stole second, reached third on a bunt and then came home on a passed ball. But Case chipped away at the Judges' lead and eventually tied the game in the top of the sixth on a single from junior designated hitter Lauren Wolz. The next frame, Judges shortstop Brittany Grimm '12 doubled to center and scored on an error on a ball hit by center fielder Carly Schmand '11. Left fielder Maxie Hirshler '12 doubled, and then two batters later Marianne Specker '12 singled in two more runs to give the Judges some insurance. Grimm went 3-4 with two runs scored.

"It's just a matter of playing to the final out, and giving our all, and it shows the fight that we have when we come back and win these close games," Cagar said of the game.

In their first UAA tournament game, the Judges were down 5-1 to Rochester in the fifth inning before scoring eight runs in the sixth inning to defeat the YellowJackets 9-5. The Judges managed to load the bases on a hit batter and two walks before shortstop Lauren Porcaro '12 drove the first run home with a grounder to short. Grimm drove another run in on an error at third base to make the score 5-3. A fielder's choice from Schmand scored another run before a two-run game-winning double from designated hitter Marianne Specker '12 put Brandeis up 7-5. The Judges added two more runs on RBI singles from third baseman Danielle Lavallee '11 and Samantha Gajewski '12.

Brandeis played their first three games in Clermont, Fla. against non-conference teams. In their final non-conference game, Brandeis fell 8-5 to Monmouth College. The score was tied at 4 going into the final inning, but Monmouth drove in four runs, taking an 8-4 lead into the final half-inning. Brandeis managed to score one run in the final frame, but could not mount a comeback, and lost the game 8-5.

The squad fared batter in their second game, against Thiel College, winning 10-2. The Judges' bats exploded for five runs in the first inning, starting with a leadoff triple from Grimm. The Judges rallied again in the sixth inning for five more runs, and Nolan allowed two runs on just five hits and seven strikeouts for the complete game win in her first collegiate game.

The team lost their first game 6-1 to DeSales University last Monday. Its only RBI came in the fifth inning when Schmand doubled home outfielder Casey Ducinski '13, who had walked and then stole second. Brandeis only managed three hits during the first game.

"We had a couple of tough losses; we're not 100 percent happy unless we are undefeated; I think we're still trying to work out the kinks, come together as a team. Just trying to get a win," said Cagar.

The team plays a doubleheader at Clark University on Saturday.