Penn College lost both games of a United East Conference softball doubleheader against Penn State Brandywine on April 12, dropping their conference record to 6-2 and overall record to 21-5.
The results are significant as they affect the Wildcats’ standing in the United East Conference, with both losses coming at home in Williamsport.
In the first game, Penn State Brandywine took an early lead with two unearned runs in the first inning. Alivia Bizzarri brought Penn College within one run with a sacrifice fly in the second. Sofia Mileto doubled in the fifth to give her team a brief lead, followed by an RBI single from Astyn Calaman. The Lions narrowed the gap and then scored twice in the seventh inning for a final score of 5-4. Carissa Lusk led Penn College’s offense with two hits. Pitcher Mackenzi Tice allowed three earned runs over seven innings, recording five strikeouts and two walks.
The second game saw Brandywine quickly pull ahead by scoring twice in the first inning and hitting two grand slams during a ten-run second inning for a commanding advantage. By the third inning, Brandywine had increased their lead to 20-0 before Payton Crawford put Penn College on the board with an RBI double; she later scored on Taylor Brown’s double. After another run from Brandywine in the fourth, Penn College responded with six runs in their half of the fifth thanks to RBIs from Arista Fine, Lusk, Mileto, Crawford, and Calaman. Despite these efforts, they fell short as Brandywine won 21-8.
Mileto led all hitters for Penn College with four hits during game two while Crawford and Brown each added two hits apiece. Bizzarri was charged with her first loss of this season as pitcher.
Looking ahead, Penn College is scheduled to host Valley Forge for its next set of games on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
