Widener Tops Brandywine In Road Doubleheader

CHESTER, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine softball team dropped its final two non-conference games of the season, falling by scores of 5-2 and 3-1 at Widener on Friday evening.

Brandywine mustered just six hits on the afternoon, but managed to hang tough with one of the top NCAA Division III teams in the area.

The Lions led 1-0 in the opener after Ashlee Stritzinger (Wilmington, Del./Concord) doubled to lead off the second inning and scored on an error, but Widener answered with three runs to take the lead in the bottom of the frame.

Katy Steffen's (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) bases-loaded walk cut Brandywine's deficit to 3-2 in the fourth; however, the Pride once again had an answer as Taylor Allen smacked a two-run home run, providing the final margin.

Stritzinger collected two of Brandywine's four hits, while Grace DeRosa (Glenside, Pa./Cheltenham) allowed five earned runs and struck out one in six innings and took the loss.

Widener plated all three of its runs during the first inning of game two, scoring twice on an Allie Alkins single before Bree VanReenan executed a squeeze bunt for the third run.

Brandywine was held without a hit through three frames, but broke through in the fourth when Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) tripled to lead off. She later crossed the plate on a groundout to put the Lions on the board; however, Brandywine would get no closer.

Steffen recorded Brandywine's lone hit in addition to Segich's triple, a single to start the sixth.

After allowing three runs in the first, Olivia Encarnacion (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) settled down, surrendering just four hits over the next five innings, but took the loss.

Brandywine (14-16) hosts Penn State New Kensington on Saturday at 1:00 pm.