Tartans Fall Twice at Brandeis to Open UAA Season

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – The Carnegie Mellon University softball team opened the University Athletic Association (UAA) season at Brandeis University with a pair of games on Friday, March 24. The Judges defended their home field with an 11-1 game one win and a 9-1 game two win. The Tartans are now 8-8 for the season while Brandeis is 7-1.

Game 1

• The Tartans opened the scoring in the top of the second inning when freshman Koko Sagae homered to center field for her first career home run and the third of the season for the Tartans.
• Brandeis answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning.
• The Tartans left three runners on base in the top of the fifth and trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
• Junior Amanda Smith recorded 10 strikeouts while facing 26 batters before being removed from the game in the sixth inning with one out. She left after giving up two runs and left two runners on base for reliever Olivia Van Zandt.
• Brandeis continued the sixth with three more hits and seven more runs to end the game in the sixth by an 11-1 score.
• Seven Tartans each recorded a hit with freshman Kira Monji and junior Erika Heffernen extending their hit streaks to 11 games.

Game 2

• With Brandeis leading 1-0, the Tartans answered with a run in the top of the second inning when senior Emily Finger hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Sagae who started the inning with a double.
• The Judges added five runs in the bottom of the second inning with three hits
• Brandeis added three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
• Monji and Sagae recorded the only hits for the Tartans in the game.

Notes

• Monji's hitting streak now sits at 12 games and is one shy of tying the program record of 13 games.

Up Next

The four-game series will continue with a game on Saturday at 12 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.