Five-Run Sixth The Difference As Brandywine Advances In United East Tournament

ASTON, Pa. – Top-seeded Penn State Brandywine broke the game open with five runs during the bottom of the sixth inning as the Lions bested No. 5 Penn State Harrisburg by a 6-1 score to open the double-elimination portion of the United East Conference Softball Tournament on Friday morning.

Brandywine produced four of its six hits on the morning during the decisive sixth inning. Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) started the rally with a base hit through the middle of the infield and then stole second base. Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) put two runners on for the Lions after following with a single. Ava Rodgers (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) dropped down a squeeze bunt to score McElroy with the go-ahead run. Three batters later, Madie Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) lined a two-run single through the left side of the infield and Olivia Bowers (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) added a two-run double to break the game open.

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) earned her 16^th win of the season in the circle. She yielded just one run on four hits, while striking out four in a complete-game effort.

Harrisburg's Kaylee Miller carried a perfect game into the fourth inning before the Lions broke through for the game's first run. Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) walked to lead off the inning, stole second and scored on McElroy's base hit.

The visitors battled back, scoring a two-out run in the fifth, but Lewandowski worked out of further trouble by getting Aspen Walker to pop up to Bussenger, ending the frame.

McElroy collected two hits and stole a base, while Culbertson also tallied a pair of hits to lead the Brandywine offense.

Brandywine (32-7) will face the winner of the Penn College-Wilson game in a winners' bracket game at 2:00 PM Friday.