Brandywine Softball Aims For Sixth-Straight PSUAC Championship

LIVE STATS | VIDEO | PSUAC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

Penn State Brandywine softball will be the No. 1 seeded team from the Penn State University Athletic Conference East Division when the league tournament gets underway Sunday in DuBois. The Lions will take aim for a sixth consecutive conference title. 

Brandywine will open the tournament with a 1:30 pm game Sunday against Penn State New Kensington, the No. 3 seed from the PSUAC West Division. 

Tournament play continues with winners' and losers' bracket games Sunday evening before the championship game Monday at 1:00 pm. All games will be played at Heindl Field in DuBois, Pa. 

Ten items to know as Brandywine prepares for the PSUAC Tournament: 

• Brandywine earned the No. 1 seed from the PSUAC East Division after finishing with a 17-5 record during the regular season. After losing four-of-six games to start the year, Brandywine finished the regular season by winning 15 of its last 16 games. Despite winning the last five conference tournaments, Brandywine will be entering the postseason as a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2017. 
• The Lions own a 6-0 record all-time against Penn State New Kensington. The teams have not met since 2016 when Brandywine swept a doubleheader by scores of 17-3 and 9-3. 
• No PSUAC softball team has ever captured six consecutive championships. The last campuses to win six-straight titles in any PSUAC sport were Fayette volleyball (seven-straight; 2008-14) and Scranton women's cross country (eight-straight; 2007-14). Brandywine ended both of those title runs by winning the 2015 women's cross country and volleyball championships. 
• Brandywine has been strong across the board this spring as the Lions lead the conference in runs per game, team ERA and are second in fielding percentage. Brandywine's offense averaged nearly nine runs per game, while the pitching staff recorded a 1.98 ERA. Only Mont Alto (.957) had a better fielding percentage than Brandywine (.956); however, the Lions committed a PSUAC-low 19 errors, 12 fewer than any other team. 
• Seven players from Brandywine were represented on the All-PSUAC teams released on Thursday. Rachel Cherubini was the lone first teamer from Brandywine, earning the honor for the third-straight season, while Haley Grossi also claimed a third award and was one-of-six honorable mention selections. 
• Brandywine pitchers combined to throw 12 shutouts, the most in the PSUAC. Rebecca Halford twirled seven shutouts, while Rebecca Sorrentino threw four and Sarah Moore tossed a no-hitter during her lone appearance in the circle. 
• Sorrentino also tied for the team lead with Destiny Brophy by knocking in 24 runs. She batted a team-leading .414, while Brophy was the team's leader in hits with 24 knocks and batted .400. Brophy's 15-game hitting streak during the season tied for the third-longest in team history. 
• Brandywine has won 14 consecutive conference tournament games since winning its first league title during the 2016 season. The Lions have reached the postseason in all seven full seasons as a varsity team. 
• In Sunday's first tournament game, West No. 1 Penn State Mont Alto will face East No. 2 Penn State DuBois at 11:00 am. Brandywine won four of its six games with DuBois this spring and did not face Mont Alto.  
• Brandywine learned Thursday evening that it has earned an at-large bid to the USCAA World Series (May 16-20). The Lions' will make their sixth-straight trip to the USCAA postseason. Seeding will be determined following the conclusion of the PSUAC Tournament.