Box Score

WELLESLEY, Mass. - Second-seeded Brandeis University knocked out 11 hits in an 8-0 victory over \#7 Endicott College in the opening round of the NCAA Regional Softball Tournament on Thursday afternoon at Wellesley College. The win advances Brandeis (28-7-1) to game eight to take on \#3 Coast Guard on Friday at 4:00 p.m. Endicott (28-11-1) will battle \#6 Salem State on Friday at 12:00 p.m.

Brandeis scored early and often, tallying two runs in the first inning courtesy of double from Marianne Specker (South Windsor, Conn.) and singles from Brittany Grimm (Perkiomenville, Pa.), Stacy Berg (Owings Mills, Md.), and Erin Ross (Manalapan, N.J.). In the second, the Judges added four more with a two-run double from Melisa Cagar (Ridgewood, N.J.). After advancing to third on a passed ball, Cagar scored on an Endicott miscue, and the Judges added one more with an RBI single from Ross for a 6-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Brandeis hurler Emily Vaillette (Milford, N.H.) was unhittable until the fourth inning, when the Gulls' \#Ashley Wright\# (Merrimack, N.H.) led off with a double to right center. \#Nicole Devlin\# (Dudley, Mass.) followed with an infield single, but Vallette retired the next three batters to maintain the shutout.

The Judges put things away in the bottom of the fifth inning, adding two runs to complete the mercy-rule victory. Carly Schmand (Bethesda, Md.) scored on a wild pitch after reaching with a leadoff single, while Grimm knocked in Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass.) with a sacrifice bunt for the game-winner.

Brandeis got mult-hit games from Cagar, Ross, Schmand and Korp, with Cagar and Ross each knocking in two runs. Vaillette got the win, hurling five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, while striking out four and walking none.

For Endicott, \#Jenna Bortolotti\# (Milton, Mass.) shouldered the loss, throwing four and a third innings. She allowed eight runs, six earned, on 11 hits, while walking six and striking out one.

Endicott matches up with cross-town rival Salem State College on Friday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. while the Judges take on Coast Guard at 4:00 p.m.

Release courtesy of Wellesley College Sports Information