Brandywine Cruises To Conference Sweep

LANGHORNE, Pa. – Penn State Brandywine earned its second-straight United East Conference softball sweep, taking both games of a doubleheader at Cairn University by a scores of 11-2 (5 innings) and 12-4 on Wednesday.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 11, Cairn 2 (5 innings)

Brandywine scored five times during the first inning and never looked back during an 11-2 triumph in the opener.

After an error allowed Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) to reach base with one out, four of the next five batters recorded extra-base hits for the Lions in the first inning. Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) doubled in McElroy and scored on Shelby DeCillis' (Iselin, N.J./Colonia) two-base hit. Madie Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) followed with a triple that scored DeCillis and Naya Rivera (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) added a run-scoring double. Jordan DuBois (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) capped the inning with a single that allowed Rivera to score.

The Lions put the game away in the fourth, adding six more runs via eight singles as Brandywine sent 10 batters to the plate. Mushinski and Culbertson both drove in two runs with base hits, while Rivera and Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) both notched run-scoring singles.

Culbertson and Mushinski both went 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate, while DeCillis and Rivera also had two hits each. All nine starters collected at least one knock for the Lions, who produced 13 hits overall.

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) pitched four shutout innings to earn her eighth victory of the season. She matched a season-best with six strikeouts, while surrendering just two hits.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 12, Cairn 4

Brandywine started slow during game two as the teams were tied 2-2 entering the fifth inning, but the Lions' bats heated up, putting 10 runs on the board during their final three at-bats.

Craddock's two-run double staked the Lions to a two-run lead, but the hosts answered with a pair of fourth-inning markers to tie the game.

McElroy singled and scored on an error to get a four-run fifth inning started. After Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) singled, she came around to score on Craddock's triple. Mushinski tacked on a run-scoring single and crossed home when Culbertson doubled to left field.

The Lions held a 6-4 lead in the sixth, but put the game away by pushing five more runs across. Mushinski lifted a sacrifice fly to left field and DeCillis drove in two with a double before Culbertson delivered the knockout blow, launching her first home run, a two-run shot.

Culbertson and Craddock both collected three hits and three RBI, while DeCillis also drove in three runs and had a pair of knocks. McElroy, Gigi Duca (Bear, Del./Smyrna) and Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) all tallied two hits. Bussenger also scored three runs and stole two bases.

Kylie Ferris (Hazlet, N.J./St. John Vianney) worked the first five innings in the circle in her college debut and earned the win. She struck out five, while allowing four runs on eight hits. Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) fired two hitless innings in relief, striking out two.

Brandywine (15-5, 4-0 United East) closes out a six-game road swing Saturday at Penn College (1:00 PM).