Brandywine Blanks New Kensington For Eighth-Straight PSUAC Softball Crown

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Crystal Cassario (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) spun a four-hit shutout and delivered a game-ending three-run double as No. 1 Penn State Brandywine captured its eighth consecutive Penn State University Athletic Conference championship by defeating third-seeded Penn State New Kensington 8-0 in five innings on Monday afternoon.

Brandywine, which earned the conference's automatic bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Small College World Series, won all three of its PSUAC Tournament games via run-rule, 8-0 triumph. Three of Brandywine's eight championship-clinching victories have come by run rule, including Monday afternoon.

The game was closely contested entering the bottom of the fifth before Brandywine put the game away with five two-out runs. Lianna DeDios (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) reached via error, Lexi Bussenger (Bagnor, Pa./Bangor) walked and Jess James (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) singled to load the bases with no outs. Three batters later, Karly Rees (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) sent a bloop single to center field, scoring a pair. A walk re-loaded the bases for Cassario, who lined a double into the left field corner, clearing the bases and setting off the Brandywine celebration.

Cassario recorded two hits at the plate and struck out two batters, while scattering four hits in the circle. She recorded her second shutout of the PSUAC Tournament and fifth overall this season, earning her ninth win of the spring.

Rees and James also tallied two hits each, while Bussenger posted a hit, three runs scored and two stolen bases and Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) drove in two runs.

Mushinski's RBI single gave Brandywine a 1-0 edge through one inning. She and Landis added consecutive sacrifice flies during the third to up the margin to 3-0.

Brandywine (33-8), the first PSUAC team to win eight-straight championships in any sport since Penn College claimed nine consecutive men's cross country titles from 2004-12, will begin its USCAA World Series run Monday night in DuBois against the winner of the D'Youville-Carlow game at 6:00 PM.