Brandywine Posts Non-Conference Sweep

ASTON, Pa. – The Penn State Brandywine softball team earned a pair of victories Monday night, recording a non-conference sweep of Albright by scores of 11-2 and 7-2.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 11, Albright 2

A nine-run third inning was the difference in game one as the Lions pulled away to win 11-2 in five innings.

Payton Landis' (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) run-scoring single gave Brandywine a 1-0 lead through one inning, but Albright answered with two runs in the top of the third inning.

The Lions needed only six hits to send 13 batters to the plate during their nine-run frame, taking advantage of three walks and two Albright errors. Emily Reagan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) tied the score at 2-2 with a RBI double off the left field fence. After Crystal Cassario (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) worked a free pass with the bases loaded to force in a run, Naya Rivera (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) unloaded the bases with a three-run triple. Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) and Karly Rees (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) both recorded run-scoring doubles, while Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, Pa./Allentown) added a RBI single.

Rivera tacked on the final run of the day in the fourth, recording her fourth RBI, by doubling in Cassario.

Rivera, Bussenger and Landis all registered two-hit games, while Cassario walked three times and scored two runs. Bussenger also crossed home twice and stole three bases.

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) tossed the first four innings in the circle to earn her seventh victory of the season. She recorded five strikeouts, while allowing two runs on three hits. Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) spun a scoreless fifth inning in relief.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 7, Albright 2

Brandywine upped its home record to 8-0 this spring after completing the sweep by a 7-2 score in the nightcap.

The Lions started the scoring in the second inning as Anna Caporale (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) lined a single through the middle, scoring Rees. Sarah Moore (New Holland, Pa./Pequea Valley) followed with a ground ball that scored Jess James (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) for a 2-0 Brandywine edge.

Brandywine doubled its lead one inning later when Mushinski walked and scored on Rees' single and Landis crossed home via error.

The visitors cut the Brandywine lead in half in the fourth, but Brandywine got one run back during the bottom of the frame as Bussenger singled, stole second and crossed home following Meghan Ferry's (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) sacrifice fly.

Ferry tripled in Rivera and scored on Mushinski's base hit in the sixth to cap the scoring.

Six players recorded a hit and scored a run for the Lions in game two. Bussenger extended her hitting streak to 23-straight games and swiped her 34^th base of the season.

Cassario pitched all seven innings to earn her fifth victory. She fanned three, while yielding two runs on seven hits.

Brandywine (16-6 7-1 PSUAC) visits Haverford Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:00 PM.