Northboro, MA --- Sophomore Alex Parrott (Nashua, NH) batted 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and six RBI, and junior Greg Tobin (Medway, MA) allowed only one earned run on six hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 6 2/3, to lead Brandeis to a 10-6 victory over host WPI in a non-conference baseball game Thursday afternoon. It was the Engineers home opener (9-2) while all five of the Judges' (4-1) games thus far this season have been played at the New England Baseball Complex.
Parrott's two-out two-run shot caromed off the top of the left field fence and went west into a snowbank in the top of the second inning. Sophomore Jordan DeDonato (Danvers, MA) answered for WPI with an RBI single in the home half of the frame.
With two outs in the third, the Judges put three more on the scoreboard as junior Dan O'Leary (Lynnfield, MA) singled in a run and Parrott followed with a two-run double. Sophomore Dan Frey (Ipswich, MA) and Parrott later connected on a 2-RBI single each before sophomore Scott Ziegler (Avon, CT) used a productive ground out to make it 10-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
The Engineers used a two-out single by junior Tyrone Patterson (Upper Marlboro, MD) to plate a run in the bottom of the seventh. WPI then cut the deficit to four behind an RBI knock by DeDonato and a pair of two-out miscues.
Brandeis went down in order in the top of the ninth while senior Steven Gallagher (Coventry, RI) led off with a single and junior David Larson (Port Tobacco, MD) walked prior to a pair of strikeouts looking and a fielder's choice to end the game.
Parrott was the lone Judge with multiple hits as Frey chipped in with a pair of RBI. Sophomore Isaac Fossas (Dudley, MA) notched the team's only other extra base hit with a double in the top of the eighth. Tobin, who struck out eight in a no-decision a year ago, was followed on the mound by freshman Marc Maestri (Katonah, NY), freshman Gavin Dauer (Winchester, MA) and junior Albert Gutierrez (Miami, FL). Both Maestri and Gutierrez struck out a pair of batters in their shift.
Gallagher finished 3-for-5 with a double as DeDonato also hit .600 to go with with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Senior Ryan Tropeano (Pembroke, MA) walked twice and Larson clubbed a double for WPI. Five Boynton Hillers took the mound beginning with senior Doug Rives (Bethany, CT). Freshmen Matt Penkala (Warren, RI) and Jeremy Rhines (Plainville, MA) made early appearances before junior Kyle Foley (Watertown, MA) struck out three of the six batters he faced over the course of two hitless innings, and sophomore Griffin St. Onge (Litchfield, NH) set down three over the course of the final three innings.
WPI opens a three-game set with New England College with a single game Friday at 3:30pm at the NEBC and Brandeis heads into the city Saturday for a noon set at Clark.