Correction appended
In a hectic week near the end of its regular season, the baseball team went 3-4, and now stands at 27-14. Brandeis managed to win two of its first three games during the week but could not get it done during the final weekend of play, dropping three out of four games in back-to-back doubleheaders against Trinity College and Springfield College.Shortstop Dominic Schwartz '14 noted that the difficulties the team encountered were ones that had plagued the players all season.

"The problem is we are just inconsistent," he said. "Some games it's our hitting that shines, others it's our pitching. We haven't been able to put the two together, and that is how you win ball games."

In the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, Brandeis fought hard but lost to Trinity 4-3. Coach Pete Varney used six different pitchers during the game, but Stefan Weiss '13 gave up two runs in relief, and was charged with the loss. Brandeis broke out of its offensive funk with a three-run first inning on an RBI single by first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11 and an RBI double from second baseman Sean O'Hare '12. Unfortunately, Trinity put up four runs in the next two innings and the Judges' bats went quiet for the rest of the game.

Earlier in the day, despite a complete game from pitcher Michael Swerdloff '13, the Judges could not pull off the win, losing 5-2. Swerdloff was charged with the loss but only allowed three earned runs to go along with seven strikeouts. After Trinity jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Judges tied the game by the third inning with a sacrifice fly by third baseman Brian Ing '14 and an RBI groundout by first baseman Pat Nicholson '11. However, Brandeis' bats again fell quiet for the rest of the game, and Trinity got to Swerdloff for three more runs to win the game.

Nicholson was dominant in the second half of an afternoon doubleheader against Springfield on Saturday, going the distance for the Judges in a 4-0 victory. He scattered five hits throughout the game, not surrendering a single run. Nicholson broke through on the offensive side as well, bringing in a runner on a double play in the first inning and later contributing an RBI single. An RBI double by Ing sealed Springfield's fate.

In the first game, the Judges fought hard but could not overcome a big seventh inning by Springfield, losing 11-8. John McGrath '11 pitched six innings, giving up six runs and striking out four, but did not earn a decision in the game. Brandeis broke open the game with three RBI doubles by Nicholson, Schwartz and centerfielder Tony Deshler '11 in a four-run second inning. With a 5-4 Springfield lead in the sixth inning, outfielder Nick Cortese '13 belted a two-run homer and catcher Kenny Destremps '12 added another RBI double to give the Judges a 7-4 lead. However, Brandeis couldn't protect the lead in the top of the seventh inning and eventually lost by a score of 11-8.

Last Thursday, the Judges looked to extend their five-game winning streak against No. 4 Keene State University. However, the Judges faltered and lost 8-2 in a game shortened by rain. Colin Markel '14 was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs in four innings of work. Keene State pounced early on Markel, bringing in three runs in the first inning. Brandeis was able to cut the lead to 3-2 by the fourth inning with an RBI double by Nicholson and an RBI single by catcher Chris Ferro '13. However, the Judges' pitching ceded five more runs to Keene, and the team's bats went quiet for the rest of the game.

Last Wednesday, Brandeis pulled off an exhilarating 8-7 victory in extra innings over Bowdoin College. Dylan Britton '13 pitched seven innings, giving up four earned runs. Alex Tynan '12 earned his third win of the season, by pitching two scoreless innings to close out the game.

Down 4-0 in the sixth inning, the Judges found their offensive groove and knocked in seven runs over the next two innings. Deshler began the onslaught with a two-run homer. In the next inning, O'Hare pulled through with a huge grand slam to put the Judges up 6-4. Deshler came through again with an RBI single to increase the lead to 7-4 and seemingly put the game out of reach. However, Brandeis could not close it out, and Bowdoin tied the game in the ninth inning with two more runs. Destremps provided the biggest homer of all, breaking the game open in the 11th with a solo shot to seal the game at 8-7.

The Judges started out the week last Tuesday with a 4-3 win over Endicott College. Swerdloff pitched six solid innings, allowing only one earned run. Markel earned his second win of the season and Ing his second save. By the bottom of the seventh inning and facing a 3-0 deficit, O'Hare broke through with a two-run triple and then scored home on a wild pitch to tie the game at three runs apiece. Ferro executed a sacrifice bunt perfectly in the next inning to give the Judges the lead and ultimately the game at 4-3.

Whether or not the team will make the playoffs is unclear, but Schwartz said that, in any case, the team was happy with how the season went.

"Despite this weekend, I think we've had a great season thus far," he said. "We started off a little slow but then started finding ways to win games. I think we've proven we can compete and give a lot of trouble to any team out there."

Schwartz also felt very positive about the team's prospects for next season.

"I think the future is bright for our team; we have a lot of talented players even with our departing seniors," he said. "However, the rest of the year is what we need to focus on."

Brandeis will play its final game of the season at Amherst College today at 3:00 p.m.

Editor's note: This article has been edited to reflect the following correction: Stefan Weiss '13 picked up the loss in the second game of Brandeis' doubleheader last Sunday, not Rafi Stern '11. Additionally, the article incorrectly implied that the team's season was over, when it in fact had one more regular season game.