Brandywine Bounces Back To Sweep F&M

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Two days after suffering a pair of narrow defeats, the Penn State Brandywine softball team rebounded by sweeping a pair of games at Franklin & Marshall on Thursday afternoon. The Lions claimed game one 4-3 and then took the nightcap 7-4.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 4, Franklin & Marshall 3

Alexandra Szpindor (Pottstown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) earned her first win of the season in the circle and recorded what turned out to be the game-winning hit at the plate with a two-run double in the second inning to highlight Brandywine's game one victory.

The Lions racked up nine hits with Morgan Meoli (Woolwich Twp., N.J./Kingsway Regional), Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) and Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City) each accounting for two knocks. Segich also stole three bases and scored two runs, while Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) reached base safely three times on a hit and two walks and crossed home twice.

Brandywine struck for a pair of first inning runs as Segich and Cherubini recorded back-to-back singles to start the frame and Szpindor walked to load the bases. Alyssa Sullivan (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) delivered a sacrifice fly scoring Segich, while Meoli's single plated Cherubini one batter later.

The Lions added to their lead in the second when Segich singled with two outs and Cherubini worked a base on balls before Szpindor drove both in with a double.

The Diplomats scored twice in the fifth to get within one, but Szpindor worked out of trouble in the sixth and then retired F&M in order during the final inning as Brandywine held on for the one-run victory. Szpindor struck out two, while allowing three runs on eight hits.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 7, Franklin & Marshall 4

The Lions' bats stayed hot in game two as six Brandywine hitters recorded multi-hit games, combining for 13 hits overall. Segich posted three hits in four at-bats, while Cherubini, Szpindor, Sullivan, Haley Grossi (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) and Fiona Warren (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) all tallied two hits.

Szpindor added three more RBI and Cherubini knocked in two, while Segich and Warren both scored a pair of runs.

Brandywine's first three batters reached base in the first inning as Szpindor doubled in Segich and Cherubini. The Lions added on, scoring two more runs on a Grossi RBI single and a run-scoring groundout from Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington).

The Diplomats pushed a run across in the bottom half of the first, but Szpindor's second inning single scored Warren and Cherubini added a two-run base hit one frame later as the Lions' edge swelled to 7-1.

Brandywine had to hold off a late F&M rally after the hosts scored three times in the sixth to cut the margin in half. The Diplomats brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the seventh against Szpindor, but she retired the final two batters she faced to earn the save in relief of Cara Fabiano (Bristol, Pa./Bristol). Fabiano evened her record at 4-4 after pitching the first six innings. She fanned one and yielded four runs on six hits.

Brandywine (5-11, 2-0 PSUAC) is back at home Friday to face SUNY Delhi at 3:00 pm.