Maddie Malfara
Maddie Malfara

Brandywine Rallies From Seven Down To Top Wesley

ASTON, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine faced a 12-5 deficit entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but overcame the seven-run hole by scoring the game's final eight runs to walk off with a 13-12 triumph over Wesley College on Tuesday afternoon in game one of the non-conference softball doubleheader. Game two ended tied 2-2 after four innings as the contest was halted due to darkness.

The Wolverines scored five times during the top of the sixth inning to open up a 12-5 lead before Brandywine countered with five runs of its own, all with two outs, in the bottom of the frame.

Alexa Anderson (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) worked a one-out walk and two batters later, Julie Foeldes (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) was issued a base on balls to get the rally started. Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City) delivered a run-scoring single, her fourth of the game, to make the score 12-6. A walk by Ashley Dotey (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) loaded the bases for Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington), who sent a bases-clearing triple into the right field corner. Haley Grossi (Monmouth, N.J./South Brunswick) followed with another three-base hit, scoring Malfara with the Lions' 10th run.

Brandywine's first two batters in the seventh inning reached base as Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) singled to lead off before advancing two bases on wild pitches and Anderson walked for the fourth time in the game. Katy Steffen's (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) RBI groundout trimmed the deficit to 12-11 and two batters later, Velez sent a run-scoring single down the right field line, scoring Steffen with the tying run.

After a pitching change and a walk by Dotey that re-loaded the bases, Malfara was issued a base on balls, forcing in Foeldes with the winning run.

Velez went 5-for-5 with five singles, while driving in three runs and scoring three times. Malfara totaled five RBI, while Anderson crossed home three times and Steffen added a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Cherubini and Grossi both tallied two hits.

Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) was the winning pitcher for the sixth time this spring after firing her 11th complete game. She allowed 12 runs (nine earned) and struck out five.

After a lengthy opener that took three hours to complete, game two was completed in four innings.

All of the scoring came during the first inning as Brandi Dalious blasted a two-run home run for the Wolverines to stake the visitors to an early two-run lead.

However, Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) beat out a bunt single to start Brandywine's half of the first and sped around the bases on Cherubini's triple to make the score 2-1. Anderson followed with a groundout that plated Cherubini.

Gina Mazurkiewicz (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) added Brandywine's third hit of the game, a double in the second inning. Grossi pitched all four innings, fanning one, while yielding two runs on four hits.

Brandywine (6-5-1, 1-1 PSUAC) travels to Penn State Schuylkill to complete the season series on Friday at 2:00 pm. The teams split a doubleheader at Maple Zone on Monday afternoon.