PHOTO BY Danielle Wolfson/The Hoot
After getting on the board first on a lead off home run from Mike Alfego ’09, Salve-Regina bled starter Kyle Ritchie ’10 for five runs over the next three innings. Trailing 5-1 to visiting Salve-Regina entering the fourth inning, Brandeis managed to chip away at the lead, starting with a sac fly from Zach Wooley ’11 that brought home Jon Chu ’12. They got some assistance in the fifth, a bases-loaded walk to Sean O’Hare ’12 cutting the score to 5-3 followed by an RBI single from Chu to make it a one-run affair.
The eighth inning saw Zach Wooley lead off with a single but would have been stranded at second were it not for a pinch-hit, RBI single from Eric Rosenberg ’11 that tied the game up at 5-5. Errors though nearly killed Brandeis as they fell behind again by one thanks to an error from O’Hare at short. The Judges, however, would not be denied, though it started off looking like they would after reliever Charles Kwolek got the first two batters in order. Kwolek, however, suddenly unraveled and ended up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Kwolek’s troubles started off by giving up a two out walk to Chu who was then subbed for pinch runner Zach Malis ’12. Everything then went to meltdown for Kwolek, throwing two wild pitches, moving the tying run to third. Malis ended tying the game on an RBI by Livada. Another wild pitch from Kwolek advanced Livada to second and the subsequent walk to Wooley ended Kwolek’s day but the die was cast. Facing Laurence Liggett, Pat Nicholson brought home Livada with a single to left and brought home Brandeis’s eighth win of the season.
Nicholson earned the win, pitching a scoreless third of an inning, picking up a strike out. Kwolek was charged with the loss, giving up two runs on two hits and three wild pitches. Kyle Ritchie got the no-decision, going eight innings giving up six runs on eight hits, three earned. Ritchie also had five strikeouts. James Collins ’09 had a scoreless 2/3 an inning before turning the ball over to Nicholson.
Providing a lot of offense was Jon Chu who went 3-4 at bat while Livada had the other multi-hit game going 2-5. The victory comes after falling to visiting Wentworth Institute of Technology 6-3 Wednesday.
Wentworth set the tone in the second inning as Doug Papauga and Anthony Carbone each took Brandeis starter James Collins deep to left field, putting them up 2-0. Papauga added another homer in the fourth inning, this time off reliever Justin Duncombe ’10 and finished the game going 3-5 at the plate for Wentworth. Brandeis cut the deficit in the fifth after Sean O’Hare singled home John O’Brion ’10, making it 3-1. It was all for naught, however, as Wentworth brought across the winning run the next inning thanks in part to an error by O’Hare. Wentworth plated another run off an error from centerfielder Tony Deshler ’11 in the seventh and brought home one more in the eighth. A pinch hit RBI from Eric Rosenberg ’11 and a fielder’s choice play courtesy of Jon Chu brought the deficit down to three runs but had no answer for closer Matt Chymbor who racked up an easy 1-2-3 inning to seal the defeat for the Judges.
Earning his third win of the season was Chris Carbone, who went eight innings scattering three runs on six hits while also piling up five strikeouts. Collins got charged with the loss, going 3 and a third, giving up two runs on three hits and picked up four strikeouts. Duncombe went an inning, surrendering one run on three hits before giving the ball over to John McGrath ’11. McGrath went 1.1 innings, allowing one unearned run. Nick Pollack ’12 faced two batters, could not get them up and turned the ball over to Pat Nicholson who covered the remaining 3.1 innings.
Sean O’Hare was the only Judge to rack up multiple hits against Carbone, going 2-3 with one RBI. James Likis ’10, Drake Livada and John O’Brion were the only other starters to make safe contact at the plate. They also suffered a relapse of defensive woes, finishing with four errors.
