Austin-MacInnis Homers Twice, Drives in Six in 9-7 Loss to Brandeis

WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team dropped a 9-7 decision to host Brandeis University in a see-saw affair on Tuesday afternoon at Stein Diamond.

The loss spoiled a monster day by BSU senior right fielder Keaghan Austin-MacInnis (Lakeville, Mass.). Austin-MacInnis went 4-5 with a career-high two home runs and six RBI, plating all but one of the Bears' seven runs.

The Judges improve to 8-9 overall with the win, while the Bears fall to 6-8. The game featured four lead changes and the trailing team tied it up three other times.

 Austin-MacInnis opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first. After the Bears fell behind, 3-2, He doubled home two more runs in the third. Not done yet, Austin-MacInnis went deep twice to lead off innings, giving Bridgewater State a 5-4 lead in the fifth and tying the game at 6-6 in the seventh.

An RBI ground out by sophomore left fielder Ryan Kelleher (Danvers, Mass.) in the eighth accounted for the Bears' final run of the game and also tied the game at 7-7.

Brandeis freshman second baseman Benjamin Bavly (Newton, Mass.) delivered the game-winning hit, an RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth inning that drove in senior shortstop Jay Schaff (Cheshire, Conn.). Bavly then scored the Judges' final run on a wild pitch.

Graduate student Rob Trenk (West Orange, N.J.) had three RBI on the day, tying the game in the second inning with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot. Trenk also gave the Judges a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning with an RBI double. He reached base in his two other plate appearances on walks.

Senior center fielder Liam O'Connor (Avon, Conn.) added two RBI in the sixth inning with a single, putting the Judges ahead, 6-5.

Senior Sam Miller (Sudbury, Mass.) got the start for the Judges and gave up six hits and four runs (three earned) in four innings of work. He struck out one and walked two. Sophomore Ryan Pocock (Westford, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win with four innings of five-hit ball. He allowed three earned runs – including both of Austin blasts – but struck out four without walking a batter. Senior Ryan Healy (Carlsbad, Calif.) earned his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

BSU junior Samuel Devine (Bourne, Mass.) started and went 5 1/3 innings with seven hits and six runs (four earned) allowed. He fanned six and walked four. Freshman Colin Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) suffered the loss, going two innings and giving up five hits and three earned runs with two Ks.

Senior center fielder Travis Ritchie (Taunton, Mass.) also had a solid day at the plate for the Bears. Ritchie went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and a pair of runs scored.

Senior shortstop Ryan Feeney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Feeney extended his season-long hitting streak to 14 games with a lead-off single in the third inning.  

Both teams return to the diamond on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30. Bridgewater entertains Suffolk University, while Brandeis travels to Salem State University.

Notes: Sean Riley was the last Bear to homer twice in the same game as he accomplished the feat back on April 4th of 2012 against Johnson & Wales University....Riley was also the last Bear to drive in six or more runs in a game as he posted a six-RBI performance against Brandeis on March 20th also in 2012....Bavly's triple was his fifth of the season, tying a school single-season record set in 1979 byGeorge Banks.