Four Lions Named NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes
MEDIA, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine softball team featured four Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar-Athletes during the 2018-19 season as announced by the NFCA recently. In addition, Brandywine earned the NFCA Team Academic Award for the fourth-straight season.
Maddie Malfara (Ardsley, Pa./Abington), Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove), Haley Grossi (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) and Alyssa Sullivan (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) all earned academic honors for Brandywine. To receive the award, student-athletes must earn a minimum 3.50 grade-point average.
Malfara graduated in May with a degree in biology after earning all-conference honorable mention laurels during her senior season. Now a three-time NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete, Malfara was lauded as a CoSIDA Academic All-American and USCAA National Academic Team selection during her career. In addition, she received the John S. Egli Award as the top female student-athlete in the conference at the conclusion of the 2018-19 academic year. During her four-year career, Malfara collected 110 hits, 100 runs scored and 79 RBI in 146 games.
Cherubini, a psychology major, owns a 3.88 GPA. Now a two-time NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, Cherubini landed USCAA National Academic Team and PSUAC All-Academic Team accolades during her sophomore season. At the plate, the two-time First Team All-PSUAC standout is a career .379 hitter with 94 hits and 71 RBI during her 76-game career.
Grossi also earned her second NFCA honor after completing her sophomore year with a 3.97 GPA as a human development and family studies major. During the 2018-19 academic year, Grossi claimed a USCAA National Academic Team selection and was named to the PSUAC All-Academic Team for the second time. Grossi is a two-time all-conference second baseman with 63 hits and a career .303 batting average.
Sullivan accumulated a 3.53 GPA to land academic accolades during her freshman year, when she was also named to the PSUAC All-Academic Team. She played in all 44 of the team's games as a rookie, producing 52 hits and 40 RBI to claim USCAA All-American and All-PSUAC honorable mention laurels.
As a team, Brandywine amassed a cumulative GPA of 3.10 during the 2018-19 academic year. The Lions won their fifth-straight PSUAC championship, winning 26 games, and finished in the top five at the USCAA World Series for the fourth consecutive year.
