Brandywine Splits First Day In Florida

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Penn State Brandywine softball team split two games during the first day of its Spring Break trip, topping Ohio Christian 2-1 before falling 6-0 to Mount Vernon Nazarene Saturday afternoon.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 2, Ohio Christian 1

Brandywine ran its program record winning streak to 14-straight games by scoring twice during the first inning and riding strong efforts in the circle from April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) and Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury).

Lewandowski held OCU off the scoreboard until the sixth inning when the Trailblazers struck for a two-out run, but she avoided further damage by getting a pop up to second base. Overall, Lewandowski went 6.0 innings and matched a career best with six strikeouts, while yielding one run on five hits.

DeFazio worked out of a jam in the seventh to earn the save. Ohio Christian put two runners on base with one out before DeFazio recorded a strikeout and a pop fly to first base to end the game.

Brandywine's first three hitters of the game provided all of the offense the Lions would need during the first inning. Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) led off with a infield single, stole second and scored on Meghan Ferry's (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) double. Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) drove in Ferry with a base hit to right-center field.

Ferry tallied two of Brandywine's six hits, while Bussenger had a hit, a stolen base and a run scored.

Game Two: Mount Vernon Nazarene 6, Penn State Brandywine 0

Mount Vernon Nazarene scored four first-inning runs and never looked back, defeating Brandywine 6-0 during the final game of the day.

Bussenger's pair of infield singles represented both hits for the Lions. The offense also worked five walks, but could not push a run across.

Crystal Cassario (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) pitched six innings, allowing six runs (four earned) and striking out one. Sarah Moore (New Holland, Pa./Pequea Valley) tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Cougars scored all four runs during the opening frame with two outs and tacked on two insurance runs in the fifth inning.

Brandywine (1-1) faces Allegheny (11:30 AM) and Concordia-Moorhead (1:45 PM) Sunday in Clermont.