February 16, 2025

Brandeis baseball splits with Oglethorpe in season opener

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Brandeis University baseball opened its 2025 campaign in Atlanta, Georgia, with its first-ever games against Oglethorpe University. The Judges scored in the top of the seventh inning to with the first game, 3-2, then dropped the nightcap, 11-6.

TEAM RECORDS

  • Brandeis: 1-1.
  • Oglethorpe: 1-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 1 (Brandeis 3, Oglethorpe 2)

  • The Judges got off to a quick start in Game 1, with sophomore LF Henry Aronwald (Rye Brook, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) doubling home sophomore CF Connor Crowley (Guilford, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven), who walked to lead off the game.
  • In the fourth, Brandeis doubled its lead with sophomore 2B Dylan Walsh (Arlington, Mass./Arlington) bringing home grad student Jake Freed (Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson) with an unearned run.
  • The Stormy Petrels answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. After a single and a double put two runners in scoring position, the hosts got back-to-back sacrifice flies from Brick Conway and Cooper Krause.
  • Oglethorpe put a runner on second in the sixth on a single and a bunt, but first-year Keni Franck (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) relieved grad transfer Chris Lowe (Chatham, N.J./Oratory Prep) to get a called third strike and a pop to first to get out of the frame on four pitches.
  • Brandeis manufactured the game-winning run with two outs in the seventh. Crowley coaxed a five-pitch walk and stole second. First-year 3B Ben Kuja (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) delivered a single up the middle for the winning run.
  • First-year reliever Brady Lane (Hingham, Mass./BC High) came on in the bottom of the seventh and struck out the side to earn his first collegiate save. Franck earned the win.
  • Sophomore SS Mano Boutsikakis (Astoria, N.Y./Xavier) had the team's lone two-hit game, while Crowley reached base twice with a pair of walks.

HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 2 (Oglethorpe 11, Brandeis 6)

  • Brandeis got off to a fast start in Game 2 as well, with grad student 1B Eddie Zanor (Branford, Conn./Notre Dame-West Haven) doubling home Kuja.
  • The Stormy Petrels answered with four runs in the second and two more in the third and fourth, taking advantage of Brandeis wildness. The Judges issued four walks, hit two batters and two wild pitches in the second. They had five walks and a wild pitch in the third after Boutsikakis had a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning.
  • Oglethorpe 1B Mason Pearcy delivered a two-run double in the fourth to give the hosts an 8-2 lead, and DH Ryan Causey made it 9-2 with a single in the fifth.
  • The Judges cut into the lead in the top of the sixth as the Petrels experienced some wildness of their own. Five walks, two wild pitches and an RBI single by Freed later and the Judges were within three runs at 9-6.
  • Oglethorpe tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Pearcy hit a one-out single and scored on three wild pitches, and a two-out walk turned into another run on Cooper Krause's third hit and second RBI of the game.
  • Kuja drew two walks and scored two runs for the Judges in the second game, while Zanor had two RBI and the team's only extra-base hit with a double.
  • First-year starter Jeremy Byers (Chino Hills, Calif./Ruben Ayala) took the loss in his first career start, allowing four earned runs in 1.2 innings of work. He walked three, struck out one and hit a batter.
  • Oglethorpe's Hayden Partian earned the win with 2.1 innings of scoreless and hitless relief, walking two and striking out three. Dylan Quintilio picked up a save with 1.1 innings of scoreless work.

UP NEXT

  • The Judges return to action on Monday at 3 p.m. (2 Central) at Sewanee in Tennessee.