Brandywine, Penn College Play To Sunday Split

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Penn College dealt Penn State Brandywine its first conference defeat in a 4-1 setback in game one, but the Lions rebounded to claim the nightcap by a 7-2 score, earning a split of the United East Conference softball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon.

Game One: Penn College 4, Penn State Brandywine 1

Penn College scored the final four runs of the game to send Brandywine to its first conference loss in seven games in the opener.

Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) led off the second inning with a double and scored two batters later when Madie Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) lifted a two-base hit to left field.

The Wildcats answered with a run to tie the game in the third and then scored three times via four two-out hits in the fourth to take the lead for good.

Brandywine had baserunners during three of the final five frames, but could not push another run across the plate.

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) struck out five, but allowed four runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings and took the loss, while Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 7, Penn College 2

Brandywine got the offense going in game two, recording 12 hits in a 7-2 triumph.

Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) launched a two-run home run during the first inning to get the scoring started and finished the game with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate. Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) added three hits and two runs scored in four plate appearances.

Penn College trimmed its deficit in half by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but Brandywine pushed the margin back to two runs in the fourth. Shelby DeCillis (Iselin, N.J./Colonia) led off the frame with a double and crossed home on Gigi Duca's (Bear, Del./Smyrna) two-out single.

The Lions tacked on three more runs in the fifth as Craddock singled in McElroy and two runs later scored via error. McElroy's RBI single that plated Bussenger accounted for the Lions' final run in the sixth.

Kylie Ferris (Hazlet, N.J./St. John Vianney) improved to 3-0 after limiting Penn College to one unearned run and two hits. She tallied six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) struck out one and allowed one run during the seventh inning.

Brandywine (19-7, 7-1 UEC) travels to Albright Monday for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3:00 PM.