Sections

After losing three straight games last week, the Judges returned to their winning ways during the weekend, sweeping Bowdoin in a doubleheader Sunday with scores of 7-3 and 4-3. The Judges then split a doubleheader Tuesday versus Babson, winning the first game 7-4 while dropping the second 4-3. The Judges have now won 13 of their last 17 games and are 18-12 overall.

In Sunday’s opener, the Judges exploded with four runs in the fourth inning, breaking the tie to take a 5-1 lead. Rightfielder Amanda Genovese ’15 hit a clutch, two-out double with the bases loaded to drive in a pair of runs. In the sixth inning, Bowdoin scored two runs to cut the lead in half at 5-3, but the Judges responded with two crucial insurance runs when first baseman Marianne Specker ’12 and center fielder Lauren Porcaro ’12 hit back-to-back RBI doubles.

Winning pitcher Caroline Miller ’12 pitched very well, allowing just one earned run on three hits while fanning nine batters. The victory was the 31st of Miller’s career and she improves to 9-4 on the season. Porcaro led the Judges in their victory, going 3-for-4 with a run scored while driving in two. The Judges out-hit Bowdoin 12-4 on the day.

In the second game, the Judges got off to a good start in the second inning when pitcher Melissa Nolan ’14 hit a solo home run, the fourth of her career and her first of the 2012 season. Later in the inning, Genovese hit an RBI infield single to give the Judges a 2-0 edge.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bowdoin rallied to take a 3-2 lead but did not hold on to it as the Judges responded when Porcaro led the next inning off with a solo shot to tie the game up at three. The Judges would take the lead for good later in the inning when DH Casey Ducinski ’13 came home on a groundout.

Miller was then called from the bullpen and threw two perfect innings in relief, fanning five of the six batters she faced to earn the save. Nolan, the winning pitcher, allowed three runs on three hits while striking out eight in five innings.

Looking to continue their winning ways, the Judges went to Wellesley on Tuesday to face Babson College for another doubleheader. Porcaro had a big day, hitting a home run in both contests.

In the opener, Babson took the lead early on, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. The Judges struck back in the top half of the next inning with Miller hitting a two-run homer to tie up the game.

Babson regained the lead in the sixth, going up 3-2. In the top of the seventh, the Judges found themselves down to their last out, but after a pair of two-out singles, Porcaro hit a three-run homer to give the Judges their first lead of the day. Brandeis added two more insurance runs on another two-run blast by Miller and held off a late Babson rally in the bottom of the seventh to seal the victory.

Miller, who improved to 10-5 with the win, went 6.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits while striking out six. Her performance at the plate was even more impressive, however, as she went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four runs driven in.

In the nightcap, the Judges did not score a run during the first six innings, while Babson scored two in the fourth to take the 4-0 lead. When the Judges finally made some noise at the plate, it was too little too late. In the seventh inning, Porcaro hit a three-run homer, her second of the day, thereby bringing the Judges to within one run. The Judges did not score again, striking out and then popping-up to end the game.

Nolan gave up three earned runs on six hits, while striking out three in the losing effort. She is now 5-2 on the season.

The Judges face Clark University in a doubleheader on Saturday.