Baseball Walks Off With 6-5 Victory Over Brandeis

Worcester, MA --- Freshman Jeff Bolio (Oxford, MA) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored as he drove home the game winning run in the ninth inning to propel Worcester State to a 6-5 triumph over Brandeis in non-conference baseball action this afternoon at Rockwood Park.

With the win, the Lancers improve to 6-18 on the season as the Judges fall to 6-25. 

Brandeis led 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning before WSU would begin their comeback. 

Junior Nick Gezotis (Westfield, MA) and Bolio led off the frame with back-to-back base knocks as the Judges would turn to their bullpen for relief of junior starting pitcher Mike Swerdloff (Scarsdale, NY), who had yielded just two runs over seven-plus innings of work.

After Brandeis reliever sophomore Collin Markel (Scarsdale, NY) retired the first man he would see, second-year Joseph Carlier (Rockland, MA) drove in both men with a triple into the left-center gap to slice into the deficit.  Freshman Cody Osburn (Fair Oaks, CA) then plated Carlier on the next play with a sacrifice fly to knot the score at 5-5. 

Osburn, who started the game in left, came out of the bullpen and shut the Judges down in order in the top of the ninth with two punch-outs. 

In the bottom of the frame, Worcester State loaded up the bases on three walks, to set the stage for Bolio who hit a dribbler to first base and score the game-winning run in the form of sophomore Dan Ubele (Tyngsboro, MA) as the attempted throw back to home plate was a little too late.

Brandeis scored three times in the first two frames for the early 3-0 advantage.

First-year Tom McCarthy (Yonkers, NY) scampered home on a wild pitch in the first and then classmate Rob Trenk (W. Orange, NJ) and senior Kenny Destremps (Mashpee, MA) knocked in runs in the second.  Destremp's bunt single was a perfectly executed suicide squeeze for the third run.

The Judges would tack on another run in the fourth inning as McCarthy hit an RBI-single to score Trenk making the score 4-0.

The Lancers broke up the shutout in the bottom of the fourth as Osburn rapped out an RBI-base knock up the middle to plate Bolio cutting the score to 4-1.  Gezotis would then drive home a run for the Blue and Gold in the following frame to cut the deficit in half.

The Judges scored their final run of the game in the seventh inning on an run producing triple by senior Zach Malis (Merrick, NY) to make the advantage 5-2 before the Lancers would begin their charge. 

Worcester State used nine different pitchers in the contest as Osburn (1-0) picked up the victory.  Osburn and freshman Michael Ivas (Princeton, MA/Holy Name) each held the Judges hitless in the final two frames.  The Lancers pitching staff combined for five runs allowed (three earned), three walks, and a trio of strikeouts. 

Brandeis senior Alex Tynan (Barnegat, NJ) was saddled with the loss (0-2) as he went a 1/3 of an inning of relief allowing three walks and the eventual game-winning run.  Swerdloff was handed the no decision as over seven innings of work he allowed four runs (three earned), seven hits, no walks, and finished with three strikeouts.

Destremps went 3-for-5 for the visitors as McCarthy, Malis and junior Pat Seaward (York, ME) each had two hits apiece.  Bolio and Gezotis had two base-knocks for WSU.

Both squads played a little small-ball by combining for eight sacrifice hits, but also stranded nine in scoring position.  Brandeis held the 11-8 edge in the hitting department.  

Both squads continue non-conference play Thursday on the road as the Lancers head to Nichols for a 3:30 PM start.  Brandeis will travel to Johnson & Wales for a 12 o'clock first pitch.     

Release By Jim Sarkisian – Sports Infomation Assistant