Brandywine Splits Season-Opening Florida Doubleheader

CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Penn State Brandywine softball team needed extra innings to win its season opener by a 3-2 score over Jackson College before dropping the nightcap. 8-4 to Carlow on Sunday morning.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 3, Jackson College 2 (8 innings)

Brandywine rallied to score the final three runs to open the season with an extra-inning victory behind Emily Reagan's (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) bat and the pitching of Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury).

Reagan produced three hits, falling a triple shy of the cycle, during her college debut, while DeFazio fired four scoreless innings in relief, yielding just one hit to earn the victory in the circle.

The Jets plated two runs during the bottom of the first inning, but were held off the scoreboard by DeFazio and Crystal Cassario (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) over the final seven frames.

Reagan, who doubled to lead off the game, homered in the sixth to knot the score at 2-2. With pinch-runner Becky Valente (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) at second base in the eighth, Reagan delivered again, lacing a single into left-center field, giving the Lions the lead in the eighth.

DeFazio worked out of trouble in the bottom of the eighth, retiring three-straight batters with two runners on base.

Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) accounted for Brandywine's fourth hit of the day. She doubled and scored on a Payton Landis (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) groundout in the fourth.

Cassario pitched the game's first four innings, striking out two, while allowing two runs on six hits.

Game Two: Carlow 8, Penn State Brandywine 4

Carlow scored six times over the final three innings to claim the nightcap by an 8-4 score.

The Lions allowed a first-inning run, but got two back during the bottom of the frame thanks to an error that allowed Mushinski and Meghan Ferry (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City) to cross home.

The Celtics evened the count in the third and retook the lead with a run in the fifth, but Landis added a run-scoring single to tie the game once again at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame.

After Carlow struck for two runs in the sixth, Destiny Brophy's (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) sacrifice fly scored Cassario to cut the deficit in half; however, Carlow added three more insurance runs in the seventh to pull away.

Mushinski and Jess James (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) both tallied two hits, while April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) drove in two runs to pace the offense. Lewandowski also pitched the first five innings, allowing three runs (one earned), while striking out four. Sarah Moore (New Holland, Pa./Pequea Valley) took the loss after surrendering five runs and fanning two in two innings.

Brandywine (1-1) faces Saint Vincent (9:00 AM) and Concordia-Chicago (11:30 AM) Monday in Auburndale, Fla.