Clutch Hitting Delivers Sweep For Brandywine

MEDIA, Pennsylvania -- Robyn Gannon (Lansdowne, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast) delivered a walk-off single in game one and Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) broke a 5-5 tie with a sixth-inning RBI base hit in game two as Penn State Brandywine swept a PSUAC softball doubleheader from Penn State Hazleton Monday afternoon. The Lions took the opener 5-4 and claimed the nightcap by a 7-5 count.

Hazleton brought a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning in game two, but Brandywine answered with a pair of runs. Alexa Iacono (Wilmington, Del./Concord) singled to lead off and scored following a triple from Lindsey Dellavecchio (Ridley Park, Pa./Interboro). Dellavecchio then came around to score on Julia Allman's (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) base hit.

Iacono gave Brandywine a 3-2 lead by driving in Danielle Spina (Thornton, Pa./Garnet Valley) with a base hit; however, Hazleton plated two runs during the top of the fifth to pull back in front.

Spina's RBI base hit re-tied the game in the sixth before Gannon drove in the game winner in the seventh. Allman registered a one-out single, advanced to second via Hazleton error, and scored on Gannon's double.

Game two was nearly as tightly contested as the opener and featured four ties.

Brandywine trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the fourth, but Katy Steffen (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown) tied the score by blasting a two-run home run, her second of the year.

Andrea Quillman clubbed a two-run homer during Hazleton's next at-bat; however Brandywine battled back with two scores during the bottom of the frame. Gannon produced a double that plated Spina and Dellavecchio.

Lauryn Geduldick (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) led off the sixth with a base hit and moved into scoring position after stealing second base. DeStefano's RBI single scored Geduldick with the go-ahead run two batters later. Spina stole home to give Brandywine an insurance run later in the frame.

DeStefano was the winning pitcher in game one after striking out three and allowing four earned runs in 7.0 innings, while Spina also tossed a complete game to earn the victory in game two. She fanned four and gave up five earned runs.

Spina also went 3-for-3 at the plate in the opener and added two more hits in game two, while Dellavecchio registered three hits during the nightcap. Gannon and Geduldick also tallied a trio of hits and each stole a base.

Brandywine (8-5, 4-0 PSUAC) opens a 10-game road swing Thursday at Swarthmore (3:00 pm).