After winning its last three games via the mercy rule, the No. 18 softball team went into its final game of the regular season against Framingham State College hoping for another offensive outburst.Instead, the team managed only one run against Rams starting pitcher sophomore Alysia Morrissette, falling 4-1 in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday. While the loss was a disappointing end to the team's regular season, the Judges did win the first game of the doubleheader against Framingham State along with sweeping doubleheaders against Rhode Island College on Thursday and Emerson College on Friday, two regionally ranked opponents.

"Those were four pretty big wins [against Emerson and RIC], but it was kind of counterproductive [Sunday] because we lost to a team below .500," said coach Jessica Johnson, who was named University Athletic Association Coaching Staff of the Year along with assistant coach Melissa Dubay on Friday.

Second baseman Melisa Cagar '11, left fielder Brittany Grimm '12 and pitcher Emily Vaillette '10 were all named to the first-team All-UAA squad. Designated player Stacy Berg '13 and and catcher Erin Ross '10 were named to the second team.

Before the Framingham doubleheader, the Judges honored their four seniors: Vaillette, Ross, pitcher Allie Mussen '10 and shortstop Chelsea Korp '10.

Mussen gave up only one unearned run through the second game's first six innings, but the Judges still trailed going into the fifth inning. They finally tied the score after center fielder Lauren Porcaro '12 doubled, advanced to third on a groundout by pinch hitter Lara Hirschler '12 and then scored on a wild pitch.

But other than that one sequence, the Judges could not solve Morrissette's pitching despite her coming in with a 7-12 record on the season.

"I feel like it wasn't anything in particular that had to do with [Morrissette]. I feel like we just weren't hitting the ball," Korp said of her team's offensive struggles in the game. "She wasn't anything too phenomenal. ... I think the heat had a lot to do with it. We just weren't very energized."

In the early game, Vaillette pitched a complete game three-hitter, allowing just one unearned run in the first inning. The Judges were able to support their starting pitcher. After Vaillette gave up the unearned run in the first inning, Brandeis immediately responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from first baseman Marianne Specker '12 and a sacrifice fly from Ross.

The Judges then scored in every inning except the second to come away with the mercy rule-shortened win in six innings, capped by Cagar's walk-off RBI single.

On Friday, the Judges swept Emerson, who was ranked fifth in the Northeast Region. Both games were shortened by the mercy rule, as the Judges took the first game 9-1 in six innings and the second game 11-3 in five innings. In both games, Brandeis had one big offensive inning. In the first game it was the sixth, in which the Judges scored five runs on six hits, culminating in a walk-off single by third baseman Danielle Lavallee '11.

In the second game, the Judges picked up where they left off, scoring eight runs off three Lions pitchers. Both Korp and Berg hit two-run home runs in the first inning, with Korp's blast scoring the last two runs of the inning for the Judges.

Emerson did not give up, however, scoring once in the third and twice in the fifth inning to stay in the game. But center fielder Samantha Gajewski '12, who earlier in the game had pinch hit for center fielder Lauren Porcaro '12, changed that with just one swing, hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth to again enact the mercy rule. For the season, the Judges have won 11 games via the mercy rule.

"I think typically, with the exception of [Sunday's] second game we're a very strong hitting team, and everyone in our lineup hits fairly well," Korp said. "And I think that's where we're able to mercy a lot of the teams that we play, especially with the pitching and the defense that we have."

On Thursday, the Judges also swept RIC, currently ranked seventh in the New England Region. In the first game the Judges were tied 3-3, but Brandeis scored twice in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. Korp came home from third on a wild pitch, and Berg's single brought home Cagar. The Judges then pulled away in the seventh inning with four runs on four hits and two RIC errors to win 9-3.

The second game was a closer affair, as the Judges led 6-2 going in the bottom of the seventh before RIC made a spirited comeback attempt. They were able to get within 6-5 and had the tying run at third base before Vaillette, who came in with two outs for Miller, induced a groundout to first base to end the game.

The Judges finished the season with a record of 27-7-1 and currently are second in the New England region. They will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on May 10.

"Right now I think it's completely up in the air whether we get invited [to the tournament] or not," Johnson said. "Hopefully we do, but [it's] understandable if we don't, I think.