Posted: Mar 07, 2026
Brandywine Rallies Fall Short In Florida
Carthage
(1-0)
9
Penn State Brandywine
(1-2)
8
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carthage | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 4 |
|
Penn State Brandywine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
CLERMONT, Fla. — The Penn State Brandywine softball team could not overcome a pair of early deficits during its first day of competition at the The Spring Games as the Lions dropped a 9-8, extra-inning decision to Carthage University before falling 9-4 against Roger Williams University.
Game One: Carthage 9, Penn State Brandywine 8 (8 innings)
Brandywine trailed 5-0 entering the fourth inning and faced a four-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh, but rallied to force extra innings.
Jordan DuBois (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) got the rally started with a run-scoring single in the fourth, plating pinch-runner Valentina Capra (Kenilworth, N.J./David Brearley).
Ava Rodgers (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) added a RBI single and Olivia Bowers (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) worked a bases-loaded walk as Brandywine drew two runs closer one frame later.
Emma McElroy's (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) doubled in Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) to make the count 5-4 in the sixth, but Carthage struck for three insurance runs during its half of the seventh.
Brandywine loaded the bases without needing a hit in the seventh and received back-to-back RBI groundouts from Naya Rivera (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest) and Bussenger to get within two. McElroy delivered the game-tying hit, sending a two-out, two-run home run over the left field fence for her second long ball of the season.
Carthage scored the go-ahead run during its half of the eighth and Brandywine was unable to push a run across the plate during the bottom of the frame.
McElroy went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) recorded a pair of knocks. Bussenger collected a single and stole two bases.
Cecilia LaGreca (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township) took the loss in the circle during her collegiate debut despite allowing zero earned runs on one hit in 2.0 innings of work.
Game Two: Roger Williams 9, Penn State Brandywine 4
The Lions spotted the Hawks a 6-0 lead following two complete innings and could not overcome the deficit in game two.
Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) laced a two-run triple into the right field corner to get Brandywine on the board in the third. Rodgers tacked on a two-RBI double two frames later, but the Lions could get no closer as RWU produced a pair of insurance runs in the fifth.
Craddock tallied of Brandywine's five hits, while Mushinski crossed home twice.
Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) struck out one in 4.2 frames in the circle, but took the loos. Bowers notched a strikeout in 1.1 innings of relief.
Brandywine (1-3) faces Western New England (10:00 AM) and Rhode Island College (2:30 PM) Sunday in Clermont.
