Cherubini And Halford Receive PSUAC Weekly Accolades

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Following Penn State Brandywine's championship run at the Penn State University Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) was named conference player of the week, while Rebecca Halford (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) was tabbed as the PSUAC Pitcher of the Week.

Cherubini batted .600 (6-10) during the three-game tournament and drove in seven runs. Her biggest hit came in the winners' bracket matchup with Penn State DuBois Monday afternoon as she capped a two-run Brandywine rally with a two-out, walk-off single to lift the Lions into the championship game with a 3-2 victory.

Cherubini was 3-for-3 at the plate during Tuesday's title game, an 8-0, five-inning triumph over Penn State Mont Alto.

During the Lions' opening game of the conference tournament, Cherubini collected a bases-clearing triple and a two-run double, both with two outs, to give her five RBI on the day. She owns 23 runs batted in this spring, while batting .397 with 32 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

Halford went 2-0 and did not allow an earned run, while striking out seven, in 10.0 innings during the tournament.

She fired her conference-leading eighth shutout of the spring in the championship game, blanking Mont Alto for five innings, while allowing just five hits. Halford opened the tournament with a six-strikeout performance against Penn State New Kensington, yielding five hits and one unearned run.

In addition to leading the PSUAC in shutouts, Halford ranks second in ERA (1.88) this spring. She owns a 10-4 record with 44 strikeouts in 74.1 innings pitched.

Brandywine captured its sixth consecutive PSUAC Championship and now has its sights set on the USCAA World Series. The national tournament begins Monday at 11:00 AM when No. 4 Brandywine faces No. 5 Carlow in DuBois, Pa.