Brandywine Earns Split With DelVal

ASTON, Pa. – Delaware Valley staged a late rally to claim game one 4-2, but Penn State Brandywine rebounded to win the nightcap by a 4-1 count as the Lions and Aggies split a non-conference softball doubleheader on Thursday.

Game One: Delaware Valley 4, Penn State Brandywine 2

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning, but the Aggies struck for four runs on five hits during their final at-bat to take the lead.

Four of the first five batters reached base as the Aggies tied the score. A pitching change brought Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) into the game and she struck out the first batter she faced, but an error extended the inning and a bases-loaded single plated two DelVal runs to give the visitors the lead.

Brandywine struck first during the second inning when Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) singled and scored on Shelby DeCillis' (Iselin, N.J./Colonia) double. One frame later, Craddock singled in Quinn Rosario (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) for a 2-0 Brandywine lead.

The Lions had opportunities to add on after collecting eight hits, but stranded nine runners on the base paths.

Lewandowski struck out six in 6.1 innings and saw her record drop to 6-2, while Craddock and Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) both recorded two-hit games offensively.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 4, Delaware Valley 1

Brandywine rebounded to win game two and earn the split behind the pitching of Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic).

Hurta went the distance, limiting the Aggies to one run on five hits, while striking out three to earn her second victory in three days and fifth overall this spring. She rolled a double play ball to work out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning and yielded a second inning run, but allowed just three runners to reach base the rest of the way.

Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) manufactured a first-inning run for the Lions by working a walk, stealing second and scoring on a DelVal throwing error.

After the Aggies tied the count in the second, three-straight two-out hits gave Brandywine the lead one frame later. Mushinski doubled and moved to third on Craddock's base hit before scoring when DeCillis roped a single to center field.

DeCillis dropped down a squeeze bunt to plate Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) in the fifth, while Madie Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) scored on Bussenger's sixth-inning sacrifice fly to add another insurance run.

Brandywine (11-5) opens United East Conference action Saturday when the Lions begin a six-game road trip at Penn State Harrisburg (1:00 PM).