Posted: Mar 01, 2026
Brandywine And Widener Play To Season-Opening Split
Game 1
Game 1
Widener
(0-1)
1
Penn State Brandywine
(1-0)
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Widener | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
|
Penn State Brandywine | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 10 | 11 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
Widener
(1-1)
3
Penn State Brandywine
(1-1)
2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Widener | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
|
Penn State Brandywine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine and Widener each claimed a victory as the teams opened the 2026 softball season with a doubleheader split on Sunday afternoon. Brandywine rolled 10-1 in game one, while the Pride rallied for a 3-2 game two victory.
Game One: Penn State Brandywine 10, Widener 1
Brandywine did all of its scoring during the first two innings as the Lions used six hits to build a 6-0 first inning lead and tallied four more runs on four knocks during the second.
Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) got the Lions on the board with a two-run home run over the left field fence, her first of two hits during the frame. After Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) tripled, Ava Rodgers (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) drove her in with a base hit. Back-to-back, two-out walks loaded the bases for Naya Rivera (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest), who scored a pair with a single. Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) capped the six-run first inning with a base hit that plated Jordan DuBois (Southampton, N.J./Seneca).
Rivera, Bussenger and Shelby DeCillis (Iselin, N.J./Colonia) all tallied run-scoring singles during the second inning, while DuBois knocked in a run with a ground ball to complete the scoring.
Rodgers was 3-for-3 with two runs scored during her collegiate debut, while Bussenger and McElroy both tallied two hits and two RBI. Rivera recorded a pair of hits and drove in three runs.
April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) worked the first four innings in the circle to earn the win. She struck out two, while allowing one run on four hits. Olivia Bowers (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) tossed a scoreless fifth inning.
Game Two: Widener 3, Penn State Brandywine 2
Widener scored the game's final three runs to earn the split.
The teams were scoreless entering the bottom of the fourth inning when the Lions struck for two runs. After being held without a baserunner through three frames, Bussenger and McElroy recorded consecutive bunt singles to open the fourth. Three batters later, both runners came around to score thanks to Rodgers' two-out single through the middle.
Widener cut its deficit in half with a run in the sixth and tied the count with a leadoff home run one frame later. A two-out, run-scoring triple gave the Pride the lead.
Brandywine threatened during its half of the seventh, putting two runners in scoring position with one out, but a strikeout and a flyout ended the game.
Bussenger added two more hits, stole a base and scored a run to pace the offense in game two. Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) took the loss in the circle after yielding three runs on seven hits, while striking out four in six-plus frames. Bowers fanned a pair during her second relief appearance of the day.
Brandywine (1-1) hosts Immaculata Tuesday at 3:00 PM.
