BOSTON, Mass. -- Sophomore left fielder Ivy Vann (Bend, Ore.) collected four hits, including a home run and knocked in three runs to lead the Simmons University softball team, which was swept by Brandeis University in a doubleheader, dropping the opener in nine innings, 11-9, before losing the second game, 9-6, this today at Daly Field in Brighton, Mass. The twinbill was originally scheduled to be played at host Brandeis in Waltham, but was moved to Daly Field due to unplayable conditions in Waltham. The Sharks fall to 3-15 on the season, while the Judges improve to a perfect 8-0.
Vann also scored three runs for Simmons during the two games. Senior first base Dom Ortiz (Lawrence, Mass.) was 4-9 with two RBI and a run scored, while first year shortstop Allie Mulhern (Westford, Mass.) was 4-7 with two runs scored, a stolen base and a run batted in.
Junior Scottie Todd (Tampa, Fla.), first year Marley Felder (Miami, Fla.), and sophomore Jolie Fujita Honolulu, Hawaii) combined to go 16-25 with 11 runs batted in. Todd was 6-8 with a double, three RBI and three runs scored, while Felder was 5-8 with a double, a homer and four runs batted in and Fujita was 5-9 with a pair of doubles, a triple and four RBI.
Felder hit a two-run homer to left center field to score Todd and give Brandeis the walk-off 11-9 victory in the bottom of the ninth. The Judges entered the frame down by a pair of runs, but Fujita led off the inning with an RBI triple to right center and Todd followed with a run-scoring single through the right side.
Simmons put the Judges' backs against the wall when Vann crushed a two-run homer to left center to give the Sharks a 9-7 lead in the top of the inning.
Simmons opened the game with a four-run first, fueled by a two-run double off the bat of first year Maddie Castigliego (Bristol, R.I.) and picked up two more runs with an RBI groundout from Ortiz and the benefit of a wild pitch to score sophomore Marissa Santoro (Franklin, Mass.) from third. Brandeis matched the Sharks with four runs in the second, highlighted by a three-run double from Fujita to knot the game at 4-4.
The Judges took their first lead of the contest on an RBI triple off the bat of senior Keri Lehtonen (Oneco, Conn.) in the fourth and tacked on another run with a run-producing single from junior PJ Ross (Kingston, N.H.) in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-4 margin. Simmons tied the game at 6-6, courtesy of a two-run single from junior center fielder Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) in the sixth. Brandeis threatened to win the game in the bottom of the seventh when it loaded the bases with one out on singles from Todd and Felder and a walk drawn by Ross, but Castigliego was able to escape the jam unscathed and send the contest into extra frames.
The Sharks took a 7-6 edge in the eighth when Castigliego scored after first year third base Alex Morang (Windham, Maine) reached on an error following a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by the Judges' catcher. Brandeis answered in the bottom of the inning when Lehtonen knocked in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-7.
Todd earned the win in relief for Brandeis, hurling six innings, while allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits, while striking out two to improve to 4-0. Castigliego suffered the loss, tossing eight-plus innings and giving up 11 runs (six earned) on 13 hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts.
The Judges scored three runs in the third and twice in the fourth to take a 7-3 lead in game two and didn't look back as they went on to take a 9-6 victory. Felder tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI double in the third, before Ross plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly and first year Sydney Goldman (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) knocked in a run with a single to give Brandeis a 5-3 lead after three complete innings. Todd increased the Judges advantage to 6-3 with a run-scoring double and Felder singled up the middle to make it 7-3.
Simmons loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth and was able to push two runs across, thanks to an RBI walk worked by sophomore Hailey Yabroudy (Amherst, N.H.) and a single to right from Mulhern to cut the deficit to 7-5. Brandeis scored single runs in the bottom of the fifth and the sixth to restore its four-run margin. Urena drove in a run with a single in the fifth and the Judges took advantage of an error by the Sharks to put up another run in the sixth.
Simmons looked to rally in the seventh, down by a score of 9-5. The Sharks loaded the bases again with one out following three straight walks from Yabroudy, Mulhern and sophomore right fielder Danielle Carson (Ashland, Mass.). Goldman fanned the next batter, before issuing a free pass to Vann to force in a run to pull Simmons to within 9-6. Bott flied out to end the threat and the game.
Brandeis put the first two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning after Todd singled home the game's first run and Ross knocked in another run with a fielder's choice. The Sharks cracked the scoring column in the second when Mulhern stole home to make it 2-1. Simmons took its only lead of the game with a pair of runs in the third. Ortiz knotted the game with a run-scoring single and Santoro gave the Sharks a 3-2 edge with a sacrifice fly.
Goldman earned the complete game victory to improve to 4-0 after yielding six runs (three earned) on eight hits and 10 walks in addition to three strikeouts. Junior Alex Soqui (Acushnet, Mass.) (0-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing seven runs on 11 hits and a walk to go with a strikeout.
Simmons returns to action on Tuesday, March 26 when it hosts Eastern Nazarene College for a 5:00 p.m. first pitch, while the Judges host Suffolk University on the same day 3:00 p.m.