Sophomore pitcher Richard Brereton steps up to the plate in a matchup with Brandeis University (Mass.) on April 13. The Eagles began the four-game weekend series with an 8-4 victory. Ayushi Agarwal/Photo Editor
The Emory baseball team swept the Brandeis University (Mass.) Judges in a four-game series on April 13 and 14, advancing to a 17-15 overall record and an 8-4 record in University Athletic Association (UAA) competition.
Emory began the series with an 8-4 victory over Brandeis in the first game of a doubleheader on April 13.
Sophomore pitcher Richard Brereton recorded his third consecutive victory in his past three starts, going seven innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, three walks and six strikeouts. Batting second in the lineup, Brereton tacked on two RBIs and stole two bases.
The Eagles claimed their first lead in the bottom of the third, after a passed ball allowed Brereton to cross home, giving Emory a 2-1 advantage. Emory held Brandeis at bay for the remainder of the game, walking away comfortably with a four-run triumph.
In the second game of the day, Emory topped the Judges 5-2.
Brandeis jumped out to an early lead after scoring a run in the top of the first. Emory answered in the bottom of the third, thanks to a Brereton RBI double that brought home senior left fielder Josh Rosenblatt.
The Eagles and Judges traded runs in the top of the fourth and bottom of the fifth to knot the game at 2-2. In the bottom of the sixth, junior designated hitter Eric Terry drove in the game-winning run on a single belted into right field. Brandeis failed to answer and dropped their second straight to the Eagles.
In their second doubleheader on April 14, the Eagles didn’t show any sign of fatigue, blowing past Brandeis 10-4.
Emory tallied three runs on three hits in the first inning. Senior shortstop Nick Chambers opened the scoring with a two-run double. In the next at-bat, senior first baseman Bubby Terp drove home Chambers on a single into right field.
Sophomore pitcher James Robertson assumed the starting role and pitched eight solid innings. He allowed one run on three hits, three walks and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
With the offense totaling 10 runs on 13 hits and Robertson following suit with a strong performance on the mound, Emory cruised smoothly to a six-run victory.
Left: Brereton sends the ball to the Judges. In the first half of the doubleheader on April 13, Brereton went seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits, three walks and six strikeouts. Ayushi Agarwal/Photo Editor
Pitching coach Ryan Mossman noted Robertson’s terrific outing and the work he has put in to solidify his techniques.
“Robertson had one of our best pitching performances of the season,” Mossman said. “His persistence at working on his craft by working on his changeup and having more confidence in his offspeed pitches have definitely benefited him.”
Chambers said that Robertson’s dominance on the mound energized the offense and encouraged them to perform at the same level.
“Robertson set the tone and characterized our success this weekend,” Chambers said. “When one guy plays like that, the rest of the team feels motivated to follow and take their games to the next level.”
Despite the Judges’ two runs in the top of the first, Brandeis failed to salvage the final game of the series, losing to the Eagles 5-2.
Undeterred by Brandeis’ quick start, the Eagles added two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. The Eagles stole the advantage in the bottom of the third on a RBI single from freshman left fielder Jack Rubenstein.
Emory’s pitching staff recovered after yielding two runs in the first inning and shut Brandeis out for the remainder of the game to secure the four-game sweep.
Mossman said that his pitching staff is taking massive strides in fine-tuning their approaches on the mound both physically and mentally.
“Our staff is taking upon themselves to look for different ways to use their deliveries to deceive batters,” Mossman said.
The Eagles will face Huntingdon College (Ala.) in a three-game series on April 20-22.
Editor’s Note: Brian Taggett (19C) is an associate editor of the Wheel and plays for Emory’s baseball team. He was not involved in the composition of or editing of this article.
