Brandywine Overcomes Scare From Schuylkill

ASTON, Pennsylvania -- After blowing out Penn State Schuylkill 11-0 in a five-inning game one, Penn State Brandywine needed to score three times in the bottom of the seventh inning to overcome a two-run deficit and win by a 12-11 margin, completing the sweep on Sunday afternoon. Brandywine has now won 22 consecutive games against PSUAC competition dating back to last season.

Julia Allman (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) got the rally started in the seventh after being hit by a pitch to lead off. She moved to second when Robyn Gannon (Lansdowne, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast) walked and came around to score on Steph Harvey's (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) base hit, making the score 11-10. Two batters later, pinch-hitter Jen Patterson (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) was issued a bases-loaded walk that tied the game and Kim Palermo (Collingdale, Pa./Academy Park) followed with a walk of her own to force the winning run across.

Brandywine owned a 9-3 lead through four innings before Schuylkill rattled off eight-straight runs, scoring four times in the fifth and sixth innings to jump in front.

Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) stole home to tie the score at 1-1 and two more Brandywine runners would cross home following a Schuylkill error as Brandywine built a 3-1 lead after one inning.

The Lions struck for six more in the third on five hits, while also being aided by three walks. Segich singled in a pair and Gannon and Harvey also added run-scoring base hits during the frame.

After Schuylkill pulled to within two, it tied the score on Erin Luckenbill's two-run single and then took the lead two batters later when Marcella Scheeler singled in a pair of runs.

Harvey went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Gannon and Segich both collected two hits. Allman and Gannon both scored three times and Katy Steffen (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown) knocked in three runs.

Olivia Encarnacion (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) picked up her second win of the afternoon after pitching the final two innings in relief. Encarnacion also tossed a two-hit shutout during game one, striking out three as she upped her record to 3-2 on the year.

Brandywine took an 8-0 lead in the second inning of the opener as Harvey opened the scoring with an RBI double and would double in two more runs later in the frame. Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) drove home two with a single, while Gannon, Allman and Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington) also added RBI during the inning.

The Lions put the game away with three more runs in the third. Gannon plated Segich and Patterson with a double and Allman scored on an error as Brandywine built an 11-run lead.

Harvey added two hits in game one for a five-hit afternoon. She also drove in three runs, as did Gannon, while Patterson, Segich and Allman each scored twice.

Brandywine (7-11, 4-0 PSUAC) travels to Widener Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 pm.