Stritzinger’s Walk-Off Double Sends Brandywine Back To PSUAC Title Game

HAZLETON, Pa. – Ashlee Stritzinger (Wilmington, Del./Concord) delivered a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Penn State Brandywine to a 4-3 victory over Penn State Hazleton and put the Lions in the PSUAC championship game for the second consecutive year.

Steph Harvey (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) doubled with one out and Stritzinger followed by sending a shot over Hazleton third baseman Moriah Lynn into left field, scoring Harvey with the game-winning run.

Brandywine has now walked off with victories against Hazleton to reach the PSUAC Tournament championship in two-straight years against Hazleton pitcher Kayla Rhome. Cheyenne Murphy hit a three-run home run in State College last season.

Stritzinger capped a 3-for-3 day at the plate with her walk-off hit. She also walked and scored a run, while Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) added a pair of hits and two RBI. Grace DeRosa (Glenside, Pa./Cheltenham) won for the eighth time this season after allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out three.

Hazleton struck first when a wild pitch scored a run in the second, but Segich answered with a two-run double to put Brandywine in front.

The Lions added to their lead in the fifth when Stritzinger's infield single plated Robyn Gannon (Lansdowne, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast). Hazleton answered with a run in the sixth before tying the game during its final at-bat.

Brandywine (21-16) will play an opponent still to be determined Monday afternoon at 1:00 pm in the PSUAC Championship game as the Lions aim for their second-straight title.