Brandywine Earns Non-Conference Sweep Of Haverford

ASTON, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine softball team scored a combined 13 first-inning runs during a two-game sweep of Haverford College on Thursday. The Lions captured game one in five innings by an 11-2 count before claiming the nightcap 8-5.

Game One: Penn State Brandywine 11, Haverford 2 (5 innings)

Brandywine needed just four hits to win game one thanks to 10 walks issued by Haverford pitching.

Seven of those walks came during the first inning as Brandywine sent 11 batters to the plate, while scoring nine runs. Four runs crossed home via bases-loaded walks, while Jess James (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) and Payton Landis (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) tallied run-scoring singles. Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) delivered the inning's big blow with a bases-clearing triple.

Brandywine added single runs during the third and fourth innings as Meghan Ferry (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) singled in James and Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) crossed home via wild pitch.

Ferry reached base safely three times with a hit and two walks during three plate appearances, while James and Emily Reagan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) both scored two runs. Crystal Cassario (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) earned the victory in the circle by tossing a complete game. She struck out one and limited Haverford to two runs on six hits.

Game Two: Penn State Brandywine 8, Haverford 5

Both teams posted 10 hits as the Lions outslugged the Fords to claim the sweep.

Haverford plated a first-inning run, but Brandywine answered with four during the bottom of the frame. Karly Rees (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) singled in Ferry with the Lions' first run, while James drove in two more with a base hit and Lianna DeDios (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) capped the scoring with an RBI single.

The Fords countered with a single run in the second and three more in the third to grab a 5-4 edge, but Brandywine rallied by scoring twice during both the fourth and fifth innings.

James led off the fourth with a base hit and scored on Reagan's single, while Ferry doubled in Reagan with the go-ahead run. One frame later, Landis and Rees started the inning with back-to-back singles and both came around to score via James' single.

James went 3-for-3 with four RBI and a stolen base, while Reagan and Rees both tallied two hits.

Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) was the winning pitcher after throwing five scoreless innings of relief. DeFazio worked out of a jam in the third before limiting the Fords to just two hits the rest of the way. She recorded two strikeouts to earn her third victory of the season.