Case Western Reserve University senior Reece Marley threw the first complete game of his career and junior right fielder Nick Harms and graduate student first baseman Dane Camphausen hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to lead the Spartans to a 5-3 win over Brandeis University in the opening game of a four-game series at Nobby's Ballpark in Cleveland on Friday.

The Spartans improved to 18-6 overall and moved into sole possession of first place in the University Athletic Association with a 4-1 conference record. Brandeis fell to 4-14 with a 0-1 mark in league play.

Marley threw 141 pitches to secure the victory, improving to 4-2 on the year while lowering his earned run average to 4.38. He allowed just three runs on six hits and six walks and his 10 strikeouts in the game were one short of his career high.

It was the first complete game by a Spartan pitcher since junior Kyle Gearding went the distance in a seven-inning game against Brandeis on April 22, 2023, and the first nine-inning complete game by a CWRU pitcher since former Spartan Matt Levine accomplished the feat against Wooster on May 15, 2021.

CWRU took a lead in the game in the second inning, loading the bases and scoring when graduate student third baseman James Powers was hit by a pitch to force senior designated hitter Zack Carinci (who doubled earlier in the inning) across the plate. Brandeis tied the game in the top of the third, but CWRU regained a one-run advantage in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI single by sophomore center fielder Matt Trout. However, the Judges answered again with two runs in the fourth, taking a 3-2 lead.

The Spartans once again had an answer in the bottom of the frame. With two outs in the inning and a runner on second, Harms hit a ball down the right field line that cleared the wall for his fifth home run of the season and increased his program record to 25 career home runs. The blast turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead for the Spartans, 4-3.

The next batter, Camphausen, hit the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in right-center field to increase the team's lead to 5-3. Camphausen, who leads the team with eight home runs this season (three shy of the program's single-season record), has now homered in each of his last three games.

Marley would hold Brandeis scoreless the rest of the way, not allowing another runner past first base.

Carinci collected three of the Spartans' 11 hits in the game, going three-for-five with a double, a run, and a stolen base. Harms was one-for-three with the home run, two RBIs, a run, a walk, and a stolen base. Camphausen added a two-for-four day at the plate with a home run, a run, an RBI, and a walk, and graduate student second baseman Franco Alonso went two-for-four with a double and a run.

Brandeis starter Marc Maestri took the loss, dropping to 2-4 on the season.

The Spartans and the Judges will continue their four-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at Nobby's Ballpark in Cleveland.