Brandywine Suffers Setbacks To Muhlenberg And DeSales

CLERMONT, Fla. – Muhlenberg outslugged Penn State Brandywine 16-10 early Sunday morning before DeSales walked off with a 4-3 victory over the Lions in the nightcap as Brandywine received a pair of losses at the PFX Softball Spring Games.

Game One

Brandywine scored 10 runs despite collecting just five hits, but Muhlenberg slugged 19 hits and pushed 16 runs across the plate to win a shootout, 16-10.

Two Brandywine errors aided in a six-run first inning for Muhlenberg and the Mules tacked on one more in the third before the Lions' offense got started in the bottom of the frame. The Lions needed just one hit, a run-scoring single from Nikki Velez (Gloucester, N.J./Gloucester City), as Fiona Warren (Shwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) scored on a passed ball and Haley Grossi (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) stole home as part of a double steal to make the score 7-3.

The offenses erupted for a combined 12 runs in the fourth inning. Muhlenberg extended its lead to 14-3 after pushing across seven more runs, but Brandywine once again battled back, scoring five times during the bottom of the frame. Arianna Segich (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) and Rachel Cherubini (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsville) worked back-to-back walks with one out and came around to score when Alyssa Sullivan (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence. Brandywine continued to chip away as three more walks loaded the bases for Cara Fabiano (Bristol, Pa./Bristol), who delivered a two-run single, bringing the count to 14-8.

The Lions added two more runs in the fifth thanks to a Muhlenberg error that allowed Cherubini to cross home and a RBI double from Grossi; however, Brandywine would get no closer after being held off the scoreboard during the final two innings.

Fabiano recorded two of Brandywine's five hits at the plate, while Sullivan knocked in three runs and Cherubini and Grossi both scored two runs.

Game Two

Fabiano shut down DeSales' offense for six innings before the Bulldogs took advantage of two errors and used four singles to plate three runs, walking off with a 4-3 victory on Carley Benjamin's bases-loaded single to right field.

Fabiano had scattered six hits, allowing just one run, prior to the seventh inning. She took the loss after striking out one in a complete game effort.

Brandywine answered DeSales' second-inning run with three scores in the top of the third inning. The Lions tied the score when Grossi scored on a throwing error and then took the lead on a triple from Cherubini that pushed Segich and Morgan Meoli (Woolwich Twp., N.J./Kingsway Regional) across the plate.

Segich recorded a pair of bunt singles in four at-bats and stole two bases, while Cherubini and Fabiano also tallied knocks for the Lions.

Brandywine (1-3) will have a day off Monday before returning to action against Saint Vincent (11:15 am) and Wittenberg (3:45 pm) on Tuesday.