Cherubini Reaches 100 Hits; Brandywine Edged Twice

LEESBURG, Fla. – Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) had four hits, including the 100^th of her career, but the Penn State Brandywine softball team was edged by Defiance College (4-1) and Marian University (3-1) on Sunday afternoon at The Spring Games.

Game One: Defiance 4, Penn State Brandywine 1

Brandywine owned a 1-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but Defiance struck for four unearned runs to rally for the victory.

Arden Rabiger (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) broke the scoreless tie by rounding the bases for an inside-the-park home run down the right field line in the top of the sixth inning.

The Yellow Jackets took advantage of two Brandywine errors in the bottom of the frame, but the big blows were back-to-back run-scoring singles that put Defiance on top.

The Lions threatened during their final at-bat as Fiona Warren (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) and Alexandra Szpindor (Pottstown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) registered back-to-back singles to start the seventh, but Brandywine was unable to cut into the Defiance lead.

Szpindor went all six innings in the circle, striking out four. She suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run and scattering six hits.

Cherubini and Cara Fabiano (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) both produced two-hit games at the plate, while Warren hit safely for the fifth time in six games this season and stole two bases.

Game Two: Marian 3, Penn State Brandywine 1

Cherubini added two more knocks, with the 100^th of her career coming on a bunt single in the fifth inning. She is the second-fastest of the seven members of Brandywine's 100-hit club to reach three figures, after doing so in her 83^rd career game.

Brandywine was limited to five hits overall against a pair of Marian hurlers, while Rebecca Sorrentino (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) struck out five and surrendered three runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings for the Lions.

Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, Alexia Galli (Glenolden, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) led off with a single and moved to third on Cherubini's double. Szpindor then drove in Galli with a base hit to knot the count at 1-1.

Marian plated a run in the sixth inning to retake the lead and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Paige Rauhut set down Brandywine in order during the bottom of the inning to record the save for the Sabres.

Following a day off, Brandywine is back at Sleepy Hollow Tuesday morning to face Olivet (11:15 AM) and RPI (1:45 PM).