Foeldes And Steffen Record 100th Hits In Win Over Stratford

ASTON, Pa. -- Seniors Julie Foeldes (Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick) and Katy Steffen (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) both joined Penn State Brandywine's 100-hit club in game two as Brandywine walked off with a 10-9 victory in the nightcap. Brandywine led the opener 11-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning when it was forced to end the game due to lack of available substitutions.

Steffen and Foeldes reached 100 hits in back-to-back plate appearances in the fourth inning as Steffen singled through the middle and Foeldes followed with a base hit to left field. Overall Tuesday, Steffen homered three times and collected five total hits, while Foeldes recorded a pair of knocks.

The pair of victories also sent Head Coach Mark Caserta over 100 for his career at Brandywine. Caserta, the only head coach in the team's five-year history, owns a 102-61-1 record and has guided the Lions to three consecutive conference championships.

Steffen's second home run of the day tied the score 2-2 in the first inning, but a grand slam in the second sent Stratford in front 6-2.

Brandywine struck for four runs in the third, knotting the score once again on a Steffen two-run blast. Earlier in the frame, Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) doubled in Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington) and then scored on Alexa Anderson's (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) RBI single.

Stratford added two more runs in the fourth, but Brandywine battled back in the bottom of the inning, collecting a pair of runs on sacrifice flies by Anderson and Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City).

The Lions took their first lead of the game when Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) legged out an inside-the-park home run to right field in the fifth inning; however, a solo home run from the Cardinals made the score 9-9 entering the bottom of the seventh.

Malfara reached on an error with one out in the seventh and moved to second on a Cherubini base hit two batters later. Anderson followed by lining a single to left that scored Malfara with the winning run, sending Brandywine home with its 16th victory of the season.

Cherubini went 4-for-5, extending her school record hitting streak to 16 games, and scored three runs, while Anderson delivered three hits and three RBI. Segich added a pair of hits and crossed home twice.

Haley Grossi (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) earned her first win of the season after striking out three and allowing nine runs in seven innings of work in the circle.

During game one, Brandywine led 2-1 behind Malfara's RBI triple in the second and Foeldes' run-scoring single in the third, but the Cardinals struck for four runs in the fifth inning to build a 6-2 lead.

However, Brandywine errupted for nine runs during its half of the sixth inning to claim an 11-5 lead. Malfara sent a double to center, her first of two hits during the frame, scoring Grossi to get the rally started.

Three batters later, Cherubini lined a two-run single to center and came around to score on a Cardinal error.

Steffen blasted her first of three home runs, a two-run shot to left field, while Grossi added her third long ball of the spring, also a two-run home run, over the center field fence to cap the scoring before the game was halted.

All nine starters tallied at least one hit in the opener led by Grossi and Malfara, who each produced three knocks. Anderson, Cherubini, Segich and Steffen all added two hits.

Katie DeStefano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett) pitched six inning, fanning one, while allowing five earned runs.

Brandywine (16-7-1, 8-2 PSUAC) hosts Penn State Scranton for Senior Day on Friday at 3:00 pm. The team will honor DeStefano, Foeldes and Steffen between games.