Brandywine Claims First Florida Victory

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Penn State Brandywine softball team bounced back from a 2-1 morning loss to Western New England by topping Rhode Island College 8-2 Sunday afternoon for its first win at The Spring Games.

Game One: Western New England 2, Penn State Brandywine 1

Brandywine dropped a pitchers' duel during its first game of the day, falling 2-1 to Western New England.

Following five scoreless innings, WNE struck for both of its runs during the sixth inning, using three hits to push a pair of markers across the plate.

Brandywine immediately answered with a run during the bottom of the frame. Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) recorded the Lions' first hit of the day with a one-out single and came around to score two batters later thanks to Ava Rodgers' (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) double in the right-center field gap.

A groundout ended the Lions' sixth-inning threat and WNE pitcher Riley Kane retired Brandywine in order in the seventh.

April Lewandowski (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) spun a complete game with 10 strikeouts, one shy of her career high, but took the loss after yielding two runs on six hits.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 8, Rhode Island College 2

Brandywine's offense came alive in game two as the Lions put five runs on the board during the first inning.

Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) worked a leadoff walk, stole second and came around to score on Mushinski's base hit to open the scoring. After Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) singled, she and Mushinski crossed home via Rodgers' two-base hit. A sacrifice fly from Madie Culbertson (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) made the count 4-0. Shelby DeCillis (Iselin, N.J./Colonia) kept the rally going with a double and crossed home thanks to Olivia Bowers (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) single.

The Anchorwomen got a run in the first, but Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston) singled, swiped second and scored via wild pitch to push the margin to 6-1 through two innings.

Bowers provided a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. After three-straight walks loaded the bases, she drove in two runs with a double in the right-center field gap.

DeCillis went 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of extra-base hits, while Bowers posted two hits and three RBI and Rodgers notched a pair of knocks and drove in two.

Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) pitched the first six innings to earn her first win of the spring. She limited RIC to two runs on six hits, while Bowers spun a scoreless seventh inning.

After a day off, Brandywine battles Westminster (10:00 AM) and Heidelberg (12:30 PM) Tuesday in Clermont.