The Brandeis baseball team struggled over the past weekend, losing all four games they played on the road against Case Western Reserve University.

Judges 2, Case 5

Brandeis wanted to leave the weekend on a high note after losing its previous three games against Case, but ended up being swept by its opponent after a fourth consecutive loss.  While the team was able to jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, it could not hold on and dropped the last game of the road trip by a score of 5-2.

 Rookie pitcher Greg Tobin ’20 picked up the loss after allowing four earned runs on seven hits in four and a third innings on the mound.  However, the young ace demonstrated impressive control; he did not give up a walk and managed to record five strikeouts on the day.  Second baseman Victor Oppenheimer ’20 continued his outstanding rookie campaign at the plate with an RBI single in the fifth.

Judges 0, Case 8

The Judges were shut out for the second straight game in their first matchup on Sunday after losing to Case once again by a score of 8-0.  Pitcher Tim Lopez ’20 had a tough outing for his team, giving up seven earned runs off nine hits and a walk.  Case also launched a pair of home runs off the first-year as he struggled on the hill.  On the other side, Brandeis was only able to pick up three hits against their opponents en route to the blowout defeat.

Judges 0, Case 10

Coming off a tough, hard fought loss against Case earlier in the day, Brandeis was shut out in its final matchup on Saturday by a score of 10-0.

Rookie pitcher Brandon Musto ’20 struggled to elude Case’s bats and ended up getting shelled for nine earned runs off nine hits, including a home run, in four and two thirds innings of work.  While the Judges’ first-year pitchers were unable to find much success this past weekend, they are still growing and developing in their collegiate careers.  Fans should be most excited about the team having all of these young arms on the roster; the pitchers will be able to polish their stuff and gain experience over the next four years to eventually put the squad on top. 

At the plate, Oppenheimer came up clutch once again with a double, his third of the year.  He has already developed into a dependable offensive force in his first year on the team and should be exciting to watch as his career unfolds. 

Judges 7, Case 8

The Judges showed some life in their first exciting game on Saturday at Case as they extended the battle to extra innings.  Despite some impressive showings from the squad, the Judges lost the high-scoring affair 8-7 in the 10th inning.

Brandeis had an extremely solid day at the plate as it notched 10 hits to drive in seven runs.  Third baseman Kyle Lussier ’19, right fielder Dan O’Leary ’20 and center fielder Ryan Tettemer ’17 provided the power for the Judges.  The three combined for six hits, including a pair of doubles and five runs batted in on the day.  Lopez shined with the bat in his hands as well, going two for four at the plate with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.  Despite the offensive display, the team was unable to come out on top due to their fielding.  Five errors led to five unearned runs for the pitching staff, which ultimately led to the loss.

While the team has been unable to find success lately, they are stacked with first-year talent and have all the necessary pieces in place to become a dominant group.

Brandeis will next play against Clark University on Wednesday.