Brandywine Plays Mont Alto To Split

ASTON, Pa. – Penn State Brandywine edged Penn State Mont Alto 4-3 in the opener, but the visitors rebounded to hand Brandywine its first conference loss by a 6-2 score in the nightcap of a Penn State University Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 4, Penn State Mont Alto 3

Brandywine walked off game one with a victory as Maddie DeFazio's (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) groundout was enough to score Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) with the game-winning run during the bottom of the seventh inning.

Mushinski got the inning started with a base hit and moved to third on Karly Rees' (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) double before scoring. Mont Alto had rallied during the top of the seventh, scoring twice to tie count at 3-3.

Brandywine took a 2-0 lead through one inning after scoring a pair of two-out runs. Mushinski got the rally started by working a walk and came all of the way around to score on Payton Landis' (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) double. Rees followed with a single through the middle, scoring Landis.

The Lions held a 2-1 edge entering the bottom of the fifth before striking for another two-out run. Emily Reagan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) singled and moved to second on Landis' base hit before crossing home via Mont Alto error.

In addition to knocking in the game-winning run, DeFazio earned the victory in the circle. She came in from the bullpen to get the final three outs in the seventh, claiming her fifth victory of the season.

Reagan tallied three of Brandywine's nine hits, while Landis and Rees both collected a pair of hits.

Game Two: Penn State Mont Alto 6, Penn State Brandywine 2

Brandywine scored first, but Mont Alto scored the next six runs to take control of the nightcap.

Farrell Everett's (Wynnewood, Pa./Haverford) double scored James, who had walked and stole second, for the game's first run in the fourth inning.

Mont Alto scored all six of its runs with two outs, plating three in both the fifth and sixth frames.

The Lions did not go quietly in the seventh as Lianna DeDios (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) walked and scored on an error. Brandywine brought the tying run to the on-deck circle with one out, bit Kirsten Dell retired the final two batters to end the threat.

Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) posted two of Brandywine's seven hits, while April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) suffered her first loss in six decisions after yielding six runs on 10 hits and striking out five in 5.2 innings.

Brandywine (13-5, 3-1 PSUAC) wraps up its 12-game home stand on Monday against Penn State DuBois at 1:00 PM.