MEDIA, Pa. — After long layoffs for each of its spring sports because of poor weather, Penn State Brandywine baseball, softball, and track and field were able to return to competition last week.
Brandywine baseball opened Penn State University Athletic Conference play by sweeping Penn State Schuylkill in a home doubleheader by scores of 12-3 and 9-8. The third and final game of the series at Schuylkill was postponed twice during the week by rain and poor field conditions.
Now 6-11 this season overall, Brandywine led 2-1 after three innings of game one, but pulled away by scoring 10 runs over the final three innings, including a three-run home run by Matt Masi, his fifth of the season. Kevin Sessa limited Schuylkill to three hits and did not allow an earned run to claim his first victory of the spring.
Game two went back-and-forth before Brandywine took the lead for good by pushing across three runs in the fifth inning. Masi added a double and triple to his ledger during the nightcap, while Tyler Michaels claimed his first win, tossing 2.1 frames of relief on the mound.
Brandywine stepped out of conference on Wednesday, March 28, to face Cairn University, falling 4-2 on the road. Masi collected three hits, all singles, pacing the offense by extending his hitting streak to six games.
Brandywine softball played to a home split with Schuylkill, dropping game one 9-6, before claiming a 9-2 triumph during the nightcap.
The Lions ran out to a 5-1 lead, but Schuylkill rallied to defeat Brandywine for the first time in program history. The loss was just the third for Brandywine in its last 56 games against PSUAC teams.
Katy Steffen blasted a three-run home run and Arianna Segich added a two-run shot to help Brandywine earn a split during game two.
One day later, Brandywine played one of the most memorable games in its history, overcoming a seven-run deficit to defeat local NCAA Division III power Wesley College 13-12. Trailing 12-5 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Brandywine crept closer by plating five runs.
A run-scoring single by Nikki Velez, her fifth of the game, tied the score in the seventh inning and two batters later, Maddie Malfara worked a bases-loaded walk to force home the game-winning run to help Brandywine to the biggest comeback victory in its history.
After a three-hour game one, Brandywine and Wesley played to a 2-2 tie in game two, running out of daylight after four innings of play. Rachel Cherubini delivered an RBI triple and scored on a groundout to account for Brandywine’s two runs during the first inning.
Men’s track and field competed in its second meet of the outdoor season on Saturday, March 31, at the Ursinus College Invitational. Headlined by Taufiq Brown’s school record 100-meter performance, Brandywine placed 10th overall.
Brown ran the 100-meter sprint in 11.45 seconds, besting the previous program benchmark by seven one-hundredths of one second. He placed sixth overall in a field of 29 competitors, while also taking 12th in the 200-meter sprint.
Brendan Cleary also posted a top-10 finish, claiming ninth at 5,000 meters. David White was 12th in the javelin throw, highlighting Brandywine’s top finishers during the weekend.
Brandywine baseball is scheduled to face Penn State-Wilkes Barre on Monday, April 2, and travel to Eastern University on Wednesday, April 4. The Lions close out the week with a three-game series against Penn State Hazleton. Game one of the series is Friday, April 6, at Brandywine.
Softball is slated to host Hazleton on Friday and travel to Hazleton one day later for two more games during its only action of the week.
Track and field travels to New Jersey to compete in Rowan University’s Oscar Moore Invitational on Saturday, April 7.
Men’s tennis also will be in action this week with a home match against Williamson College of the Trades on Wednesday, April 4.
Complete box scores, recaps and updates for Penn State Brandywine athletics are posted at psubrandywineathletics.com.