AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Brandeis University baseball team opened its 2016 season with a dramatic come-from-behind win, scoring three times in the top of the ninth inning to defeat St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn), 4-3, in the first of three meetings between the two teams. The win was the first as head coach of the Judges for Derek Carlson '91.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Judges got on the board quickly in the top of the first. With one out, rookie 2B Benjamin Bavly (Newton, Mass. / Newton South) singled and stole second. After a walk to senior RF Ryan Healy (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon), SJC got a strikeout for the second out. Grad student SSRob Trenk (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) singled up the middle for a 1-0 Brandeis lead.
- The Bears claimed their first lead of the day with two runs on just one hit in the second. The first two hitters reached on a walk and an error, and a sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position. St. Joseph's catcher Brandon Salem followed with a single up the middle to give the home team the lead.
- SJC manufactured their third run in the fifth inning. After a bunt single and a bouncer through the left side, the Bears had runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt again put two in scoring position, and 1B Thomas Palotto plated the run with a grounder to second base.
- The Judges managed just one hit and two walks in the second through eighth innings against Bear hurlers Mitch Brigando and Thomas Palloto before breaking through in the ninth.
- Sophomore DH Ryan Pocock (Westford, Mass./Westford) led off with a single down the left field line.
- Trenk followed with a double to center, putting the tying run in scoring position with none out.
- Junior LF Ryan Tettemer (Westfield, Mass. / Suffield Acad.) stroked a triple down the right field line to knot the game at 3-3.
- Senior C Connor Doyle (Avon, Conn. / Avon Old Farms) completed the comeback with no one out by lacing an RBI double.
- Healy came on in relief in the bottom of the ninth and retired the side in order for his first career save.
BRANDEIS STANDOUTS
- Graduate student Elio Fernandez (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) earned his first win since April 14, 2014 with 5.1 innings of four-hit relief
- Fernandez struck out four and walked two in his first outing since missing his senior season to injury.
- Pocock, who went 2.2 inning in the start, allowing three hits and two runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out one and walked three.
- Pocock and Trenk each went 2-4 with a run scored on the day, with Trenk adding the RBI in the first inning.
- Tettemer's triple was the second of his career.
UP NEXT
- Brandeis will meet SJC twice more over the next two days, also in Florida as part of the RussMatt Invitational. The Bears fell to 0-2 with today's loss.