Brandywine Falls On Final Day Of Spring Break Trip

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Penn State Brandywine softball team dropped both ends of its final doubleheader during its Spring Break trip as the Lions were topped by Albertus Magnus (3-0) and Carroll (6-5) on Wednesday.

Game One: Albertus Magnus 3, Penn State Brandywine 0

Brandywine dropped its opening game of the day as the Lions were held off the scoreboard for the first time this spring in a 3-0 loss to Albertus Magnus.

Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) had two of the Lions' four hits, while Shelby DeCillis (Iselin, N.J./Colonia) and Jordan DuBois (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) both tallied singles.

Brandywine had opportunities to score with two runners on base during the first, third and fifth innings. A strikeout ended the Lions' threat in the first, while a pop-up finished the third and back-to-back fly outs to center field capped the fifth.

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits, while striking out one, to suffer her first loss of the season.

The Falcons took a 1-0 lead during the bottom of the first inning and added insurance runs during the fifth and six frames.

Game Two: Carroll 6, Penn State Brandywine 5

Brandywine overcame a three-run deficit to take the lead, but Carroll scored twice in the sixth to vault back in front and defeat the Lions 6-5.

Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) singled, stole second and scored on Craddock's first of three doubles to give the Lions through one inning.

After the Pioneers scored four times in the second, Brandywine began to chip away one frame later when McElroy and Craddock recorded back-to-back doubles to trim the margin to 4-2.

Craddock started a three-run rally with a two-base hit in the fifth. DeCillis doubled in Craddock and three batters later, Madie Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) tied the score with a RBI groundout. Naya Rivera (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) drove in Lewandowski with a two-out double in the right-center field gap to give the Lions the lead.

Brandywine's lead was short-lived as Carroll answered with four consecutive singles to begin the sixth inning. The Pioneers used a sacrifice fly to plate the go-ahead run.

Craddock went 4-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI and a run scored, while McElroy, Rivera and DeCillis all tallied two hits. McElroy also scored twice and stole a base.

Brandywine (5-3) returns from Spring Break for its first home games of the season at Maple Zone on Tuesday against Gwynedd Mercy (3:00 PM).