Lions Move On At USCAA World Series Behind DeRosa’s Shutout

AKRON, Ohio – Penn State Brandywine will be one of four teams still alive for the USCAA National Softball Championship when it plays on Wednesday afternoon as Grace DeRosa (Glenside, Pa./Cheltenham) fired a two-hit shutout to lift the Lions past Penn State Hazleton 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Brandywine (25-17) will face either St. Joseph (Vt.) or NHTI at 2:00 pm on Wednesday with a berth in the national semifinals on the line after defeating a PSUAC rival for the second time in eight hours on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Brandywine knocked out Penn State Beaver by a 3-1 count.

DeRosa limited Hazleton to just a pair of hits and four base runners overall. Hazleton had the leadoff runner on base four times during the game, but DeRosa retired the next three batters in order during each frame and none of Hazleton's four base runners reached second base. DeRosa, who tossed her second complete game shutout of the spring, struck out four batters over seven frames.

Brandywine needed just six hits offensively, including a pair from both Katy Steffen (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) and Robyn Gannon (Lansdowne, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast). Arianna Segich stole two more bases, upping her total to seven during four games in the tournament and 35 overall this spring.

Steffen singled in Steph Harvey (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) to give Brandywine a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Two innings later, Brandywine added a second run as Gannon executed a squeeze bunt that allowed Segich to cross home.

Brandywine is the first PSUAC team since 2012 (Mont Alto) to be one the four teams alive for a national title on Day Three of the USCAA Tournament. 

Earlier in the day, tenth-seeded Penn State Brandywine bested Penn State Beaver for the fourth time in as many meetings this season by a score of 3-1 to stave off elimination at the USCAA Softball World Series from Firestone Stadium on Tuesday morning.

With the victory, Brandywine moves on to face either Carlow or Penn State Hazelton on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm in another elimination contest. The Lions have defeated Hazleton twice in three meetings this spring and suffered an 11-3 loss to Carlow on Monday night.

Brandywine pitcher Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) brought a no-hitter into the sixth inning before it was broken up by a one-out double. She limited Beaver to one run on two hits, while striking out four in 6 2/3 innings to earn her fifth win. Olivia Encarnacion (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) recorded the final out of the game to pick up her first save.

Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) led off the bottom of the first inning with a bunt single, stole second and two batters later, scored on Robyn Gannon's (Lansdowne, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast) squeeze bunt for a 1-0 Brandywine lead.

The Lions' lead doubled to two in the second as Julie Foeldes (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) led off with a triple and came around to score following a groundout by Grace DeRosa(Glenside, Pa./Cheltenham).

Segich recorded her second bunt single of the game, stole second and third and scored on a Beaver throwing error to make the score 3-0 in the fifth.

Vanessa Jackson's seventh-inning sacrifice fly put Beaver on the board and Beaver moved two runners into scoring position, but Encarnacion got Sarah Foose to fly out to left field, ending the threat and the game.

Segich tallied two of Brandywine's four hits, scored twice and stole three bases to lead the Lions offensively.