Brandeis Blanks Blue Softball to Earn Doubleheader Sweep

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Visiting Brandeis University earned a pair of shutout victories over Wellesley College softball in non-conference play on Wednesday evening at the Wellesley Fields Complex. The Judges took a 4-0 win in the opener before holding on to win the nightcap, 2-0.

Brandeis improves to 10-11 on the year. Wellesley drops to 10-10 overall following the day. 

Game 1 | Brandeis 4, Wellesley 0 | Final

Brandeis sophomore Ragini Kannan (Westford, Mass.) struck out nine and scattered four hits over seven innings. 

The Judges put two on the board in the top of the third inning to take an early edge in game one. With the bases loaded, senior Haley Nash (Delmar, N.Y.) hit a fly ball to center that brought home junior Fiona Doiron (Charlton, Mass.). The subsequent throw home on the sacrifice fly to center got away, allowing a second run to score.

Wellesley's best chance to get on the board came in the following inning, when starting pitcher Jillian Colgan (Las Vegas, Nev.) tripled down the right field line with one out. However, Kannan got back-to-back strikeouts of Anisa Roriguez (La Quinta, Calif.) and Parker Phillips (River Forest, Ill.) to end the threat. Colgan finished the day 2-for-2 at the plate. 

Brandeis took advantage in the top of the fifth, doubling its advantage on the strength of back-to-back RBI singles from junior Anna Kolb (Alexandria, Va.) and Nash. Kannan did the rest, surrendering only one hit over the final three innings to earn the win (6-4). 

Colgan (4-2 overall) pitched five innings, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out three in the setback. Junior Lauren Young (Fresno, Calif.) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Blue.

Game 2 | Brandeis 2, Wellesley 0 | Final

Young (3-3 overall) returned in game two for Wellesley and put in a strong effort, pitching a complete game while giving up only two runs on six hits. However, the Judges were bolstered by another shutout effort, this time from senior Alex Cohen (West Palm Beach, Fla.). 

Cohen went the distance for Brandeis, scattering six hits and striking out four to improve to 4-7 on the season. Nash gave her senior classmate some early help, scoring sophomore Bells Burdenski (San Diego, Calif.) with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. Burdenski was 1-for-3 in game two after going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in game one. 

Following back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to open the game, Cohen worked around a jam in the third. Blue first year Karen Xiao (Berwyn, Pa.) opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on a bunt single from Charis Chung (San Gabriel, Calif.). The Blue left the pair stranded in scoring position after Cohen got first year Alena Mulhern (Kingston, Mass.) to strike out and Young to fly out to center. 

The Blue threatened with multiple runners on base in the fifth and the seventh inning but could not find a way to push across a run and tie the score. Brandeis added insurance in the seventh on an RBI single from junior Tristan Boyer (Chesapeake, Va.) to take the 2-0 win. 

Chung was 2-for-3 in game two and finished as the only Wellesley player with multiple hits .

The Blue host Coast Guard for a 3 & 5 PM NEWMAC doubleheader on Friday, April 12. The Judges host Emory at 3:00 PM that same day.