Following their week-long trip to Florida, the Brandeis baseball team picked up their first win of the season against University of Massachusetts Boston on Monday, March 6. The 3-1 victory was highlighted by a strong performance from pitcher Sean O’Neill ’18. O’Neill pitched seven innings while giving up just three hits and one earned run.
Another standout performance came from Kyle Lussier ’19, who knocked in his first home run of the season in the seventh inning to put the Judges ahead 3-1. Lussier’s contribution provided a much needed boost to a Brandeis offense that managed 10 runs in its previous four games.
Looking ahead, the Judges play a series against conference foes Case Western, NYU, Emory and Washington University in St. Louis (Wash U). In their two meetings against Case Western last season, the Judges lost both contests, with one of the losses coming in the University Athletic Association tournament. In their quest for revenge, the Judges will take on the Spartans in a four game series beginning on Friday, March 31.
Following last season’s dominance over NYU, the Judges will continue to look for that form this season. While going 5-0 in games against NYU last season, the Judges posted 39 runs throughout the five games. Over the April spring break, the Judges will face off against NYU in a four-game series starting on Friday, April 14.
In two meetings against Emory last season, the Judges played Emory close but fell short of victory in both games. The first game of the matchup last year featured a back-and-forth affair, with both teams firing on offense. Emory eventually came out on top with a score of 7-4. April 7-9 will feature the Judges against Emory in a four-game series taking place at Brandeis.
In their one game match up against Wash U last season, the offensive powerhouse of the Bears was on full display as they dominated Brandeis 17-3. Wash U finalized the 2016 season ranked fourth in the country among Division III schools. Wash U, without the same dominance as last year, is in the heat of its season with a 7-5 record. The Judges will look to rebound from last seasons defeat in another four game home matchup beginning on Friday, April 21.
The Brandeis softball team has had a solid start to their season, posting a record of 3-4. On a young team featuring six first years, the softball team looks to gain experience for their young players before taking on conference foes in a couple weeks. Marissa DeLaurentis ’19 leads the team with nine hits and five runs batted in the first seven games.
In two weeks, the softball team begins the conference portion of their scheduling and takes on Case Western, Emory and NYU. With a solid start to the season, Brandeis softball is a force to be reckoned with.
