Brandywine Rallies For Split At Hazleton

FREELAND, Pa. -- In a showdown of unbeaten teams, Penn State Brandywine put together a pair of late rallies and ultimately settled for a softball doubleheader split at Penn State Hazleton as the Lions overcame a five-run hole to win game two by a score of 7-6 after dropping the opener 7-5.

Brandywine took a 1-0 lead in game two when Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) worked a two-out walk, moved to second on Alexa Anderson's (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) single, and scored on Julie Foeldes' (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) base hit.

However, Hazleton answered with six runs over the next five innings to build a five-run lead.

The Lions needed just one hit during the sixth inning to score their six runs, taking advantage of five Hazleton errors.

Foeldes reached on a Hazleton miscue to start the frame and Stephanie Harvey (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) and Maura Moser (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) both followed with walks to load the bases. After two errors allowed three runs to score, Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) tied the score at 6-6 with a two-run single, plating Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington) and Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City). Two batters later, DeStefano reached on Hazleton's fourth error of the frame and later scored thanks to the final miscue from the home team.

Moser set down the final six batters she faced in order to help secure the victory, her fifth of the season. She struck out six in 7.0 innings and just one of the six runs allowed was earned.

Anderson recorded two of Brandywine's six hits, while Malfara and Segich both knocked in two runs.

In the opener, Hazleton established a 5-0 lead after two innings before Julia Allman (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) put the Lions on the board in the third with a run-scoring single. Allman added a RBI double in the fifth, but Hazleton tacked on an insurance run during the bottom of the frame and one more in the sixth.

Hazleton would need both insurance runs as Brandywine plated three runs during its final at-bat. Velez, Segich, Allman and DeStefano strung together consecutive singles to start the inning, pushing two runs across. Anderson reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Allman to score, making the score 7-5, and put the potential game-tying run at first base, but Samantha Varela retired the final three batters she faced to close the door on the Lions' comeback bid.

Allman went 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI, while Segich and Velez both added two hits. Grace DeRosa (Glenside, Pa./Cheltenham) suffered her first conference loss after winning her inital five PSUAC starts after allowing six runs (five earned) in 4.0 innings.

Brandywine (13-9, 11-1 PSUAC) and Hazleton close out the four-game series on Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm at Maple Zone.