Salem State Earns Split With Brandeis

SALEM, Mass. --  Salem State split a pair of games against Brandeis on Saturday afternoon at The Central Campus Baseball Field. The Vikings took game one, 11-4 before losing the second game 11-7. Game one saw starter Brock Riley (Lowell, Mass.) pitch six solid innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts while Christian Burt (Lynn, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs as Salem State defeated the Judges 11-4.  In game two, Mike Khoury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs and Cam Roberts (Leominster, Mass.) pitched six innings allowing only one earned run for the Judges in an 11-7 victory.

Game 1

Despite giving up three hits in the first, Riley escaped without allowing a run. The Vikings (5-4) took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a leadoff walk to Shawn Rebello (Bellingham, Mass.) and a single to right by Pat Fitzgerald (Auburn, Mass.). A double play ball brought in Rebello with the game's first run.

Alex Parrott (Nashua, N.H.) led off the top of the second with a wind-aided double that landed in between first and second. A sacrifice bunt and RBI groundout by Tommy Sand (South Windsor, Conn.) tied the game at 1-1.

Salem State took advantage of two Brandeis (8-4) errors in the bottom of the second to go up 5-1. With two outs and runners on second and third, consecutive errors by the right fielder and second baseman brought in three runs. An RBI single by Fitzgerald plated the fourth run of the inning.

In the third, Victor Oppenheimer (West Hills, Calif.) doubled into the right-center field gap. Issac Fossas (Dudley, Mass.) then plated the run to cut the deficit to 5-2.

Back-to-back singles by Luke Eggers (Duxbury, Mass.) and Zac Duval (Middleton, Mass.) and a walk to Mike Griffin (Hudson, N.H.) loaded the bases to start the bottom of the third. A double play scored one run before Tim Catalano (Brewster, Mass.) made it 7-2 with a base hit to right.

A bunt single by Oppenheimer and a hit batter set up the Judges' third run in the fifth as Oppenheimer came home on a wild pitch, making the score 7-3.

Daniel Schupper (Villanova, Pa.) replaced Albert Gutierrez (Miami, Fla.) in the fifth with two outs and runners on second and third. Christian Burt (Lynn, Mass.) greeted Schupper with a two-run single to center and Rebello knocked in Burt with a base hit to right as Salem State went ahead 10-3. Fitzgerald later added an RBI single

Gutierrez went 4.2 innings and gave up nine runs – three earned—with four strikeouts and four walks to earn the loss.

Jackson Carman (Naples, Fla.) closed out the game for Brandeis, throwing a scoreless seventh. Luke Brennan (Worcester, Mass.) issued a pair of walks and allowed an earned run before striking out Parrott to end the game. 

Game 2

An error and walk gave the Judges with a run in the first off starter Matt Enos (Beverly, Mass.). Fossas hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Oppenheimer with the first run of the game. Luke Hall (Georgetown, Mass.) then handed Brandeis a 2-0 lead with a run-scoring single to right.

Mike Khoury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) doubled to deep center to increase the lead to 3-0 in the third. Hall followed with a line drive to right to score two more runs as the Judges built a 5-0 lead.

Salem State loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with two hits and a walk. Fitzgerald knocked in a run with a single, but Brandeis starter Cam Roberts (Leominster, Mass.) worked out of the jam to keep the score 5-1.  

Singles by Connor Sheehan (Lincoln, R.I.) and Khoury chased Enos with two outs in the fourth. Bryce Dawson (Exeter, N.H.) came on in relief. Back-to-back walks made the score 6-1, and Hall followed with a two-run single for an 8-1 Judges' lead. Brian Smith (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) replaced Dawson on the mound. Parrott added another run with a base hit as Brandeis exited the inning with a 9-1 lead.

Matt Marquez (Salem, Mass.) launched his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to right to bring the deficit to 9-3.

Dylan McCormick (South Kingston, R.I) entered the game in the sixth for Salem State. Hall's RBI double made it 10-3 before Liam Kennedy (Norwell, Mass.) added an RBI single to make it 11-3. Stephen Keskinidis (Stneham, Mass.) replaced McCormick and struck out Sheehan to record the final out.

Tim Lopez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) replaced Roberts in the seventh. Salem State attempted to comeback in the last half of the inning, scoring four runs. Tim Catalano (Brewster, N.Y.) tripled to right to begin the inning and scored Salem State's fourth run on an RBI groundout. Marquez made it 11-5 with a base hit to right before Griffin added two more runs with a double off the right field fence before Lopez finally closed out the game on a groundout to second.

Enos lasted 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs –three earned – with two walks and a strikeout. Marquez finished the game 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs.