Brandywine Sweeps Wilson To Advance In United East Tournament

ASTON, Pa. – Second-seeded Penn State Brandywine secured its spot in the double-elimination portion of the United East Conference Softball Tournament by sweeping seventh-seeded Wilson Friday night in second-round action. The Lions claimed game one by a 6-1 count and produced a sixth-inning rally to edge the Phoenix 7-6 in game two.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 6, Wilson 1

Two-out hits keyed Brandywine's 6-1 victory in game one as the Lions scored five of their six runs with two outs, including all four runs during the second inning to take the lead.

Gigi Duca (Bear, Del./Smyrna) came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the second inning and delivered a run-scoring single through the left side for the game's first run. Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) followed with a walk to force in the Lions' second score before Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) lined a single through the middle, pushing across two more runs.

Wilson got a run back in the fourth inning, but Brandywine immediately answered as Bussenger's two-out base hit plated Jordan DuBois (Southampton, N.J./Seneca). The Lions tacked on a sixth run one frame later when Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) reached via error and later scored on Madie Culbertson's (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) single.

Five players recorded a single for the Lions and six crossed home with a run, while Bussenger and McElroy both drove in two runs.

Brandywine pitcher April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) worked around trouble during the early innings, stranding the bases loaded twice, before settling in and retiring the final 12 batters she faced. Lewandowski limited Wilson to one run on seven hits, while striking out five to earn her team-high 16^th win.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 7, Wilson 6

The Lions and Phoenix fought back-and-forth before a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning put Brandywine on top for good in the 7-6 victory.

Wilson used a pair of sacrifice flies to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) answered with a two-run home run to even the score during the bottom of the frame. With the pair of RBI, Mushinski passed former teammate Payton Landis for the program's all-time RBI lead with 165.

The visitors received another sacrifice fly to briefly take the lead in the third; however, Brandywine once again responded quickly, pushing across two runs during the bottom of the third. Mushinski led off with a single and took advantage of a base hit from Culbertson and two wild pitches to come around and score the tying run. DuBois' two-out single allowed Culbertson to cross home with the go-ahead run.

Wilson evened the count at 4-4 with a run in the fourth inning and took advantage of two Brandywine errors to jump back in front in the sixth.

Back-to-back walks and a single from Bussenger loaded the bases with one out for the Lions during the bottom of the sixth. McElroy followed Bussenger's single with a base hit of her own, lining a ball to right field to drive in Quinn Rosario (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) and Naya Rivera (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) with the game-tying and go-ahead runs. A Wilson error later allowed Bussenger to cross home with an insurance run.

Brandywine would need the insurance run as Wilson pushed across a score to get within one and had the tying run at second base with two outs, but Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) got a groundout to DuBois at third to end the game.

Hurta went all seven innings to earn the win in the circle. She struck out two batters, while allowing four earned runs on eight hits.

McElroy and Mushinski both had two hits and combined to knock in five of Brandywine's seven runs.

Brandywine (32-8) will face No. 3 Penn State Harrisburg Friday afternoon at Penn State Berks in the next round of the United East Tournament. Game times will be determined early next week.