After a 1-6 start to the season, the Brandeis baseball team looked to turn things around this past week. They won one game, but lost two more, leaving their record at 2-8


Judges 0, ECSU 2

Unfortunately for the Baseball team, the Judges’ doubleheader against Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday did not go as smoothly. The games were the Judges’ first trial against ECSU since 2003.

The first of the two games was a classic pitchers’ duel, with pitcher Albert Gutierrez ’20 allowing only two runs on six hits. The ESCU Warriors were even more effective, however, with the Judges hitting only four singles over seven innings.

The Judges’ rookies again dominated the team, with first-years hitting two of the four singles: Alex Parrott ’21 and Luke Hall ’21 both hit, with O’ Leary managing the other two. 


Judges 5, ECSU 10

In the second game, Oppenheimer and Frey brought the Judges to two runs in the first inning, with Frey hitting a homerun. 

The promising start turned out to be a false promise, with the Judges losing their lead by the bottom of the second inning. The Warriors had three walks and a three-run homer by Alex Parkos which put ECSU in the lead, 6-2. 

The Judges attempted a comeback in the third inning, scoring three runs. Third-baseman Mike Khoury ’18 scored, as did Oppenheimer and Frey; Frey’s was a one-out double. However, the Judges could not get past five runs, with the Warriors allowing only two more hits over the next four innings.

The Judges were unable to employ the same tactic, instead letting ECSU score four more times over the ensuing innings.  The Warriors scored three times in the fourth inning and once more in the fifth, bringing the game to its final score of 10-5, Warriors.  


Judges 5, Trinity 1

After a rough start to the season, the Brandeis Baseball team scored a win on Friday in the first of their three games this weekend, defeating the Trinity College Bantams with a score of 5-1. 

Greg Tobin ’20, the Judges’ left-handed pitcher, carried the game, striking out nine Bantams and allowing only one run. First baseman Isaac Fossas ’21 helped the Judges in their first run of the game; Fossas scored shortstop Victor Oppenheimer ’20.

Underclassmen continued to carry the game into the sixth inning, with Dan O’ Leary ’20 scoring center-fielder Dan Frey ’21 in a two-out single. In the second half of the inning, Bantams sophomore Matt Koperniak managed to get in a base hit, but Tobin limited the damage to the one run. 

The Judges truly shone in the seventh inning, putting up a two-spot. Scott Ziegler ’21 scored an RBI single, and Frey’s fielder’s-choice RBI brought the game to 4-1 in favor of the Judges.

The Bantams did not hit once in the seventh or eighth innings, letting the Judges carry their three-run lead into the ninth inning. Frey scored in the top of the ninth, bringing the Judges to five runs. Trinity attempted a comeback, with Koperniak and designated hitter Eric Thronson each batting singles, but the Judges prevented the Bantams from making it home. The Judges finished the game with a winning score of 5-1.

After a weekend filled with ups-and-downs, the Judges have a record of two wins and eight losses for the season. Seven games have been postponed so far, so the Baseball team have ample time to make a comeback. With a team of strong underclassmen ready to prove themselves, the Judges might redeem themselves in the second half of the season.

The Judges will next play at Amherst this afternoon. Following that, they will play at Wentworth Institute of Technology on April 2 and at Bowdoin College the following day. All remaining games after that will be against fellow UAA schools.