Penn State Brandywine Wins 2024 PSUAC Softball Championship, Earns 9th Straight Title

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Top-seeded Penn State Brandywine captured their ninth straight Penn State University Athletic Conference softball title, downing Penn State Mont Alto 8-0 on Monday morning at Nittany Lion Softball Park. The top-seeded Brandywine team won the best-of-3 series 2-0 and earning the PSUAC's automatic bid into the USCAA Small College World Series.

After a late surge for a 5-1 win on Sunday, Brandywine jumped out to an early lead on Mont Alto starter Kirsten Dell, pushing across four runs in the top of the first inning. Lexi Bussenger led off with a single and PSUAC Player of the Year Kaylee Mushinski followed with a two-run homer before an out was recorded. Jess James drove in two more with a double five batters later.

Delaney Glazer came in in relief of Dell in the first and shut Brandywine down until the fourth inning. Bussenger had an RBI single to kick-off the scoring and Emily Reagan eventually knocked in Bussenger for a 6-0 advantage. Payton Landis followed with an RBI single and Karly Rees rounded out the runs with an RBI triple and an 8-0 lead.

Mont Alto wasn't able to cut into the deficit, despite a few chances. The number two seed loaded the bases in the fifth inning with just one out, but April Lewandowski shut down the threat to close out the game with the 8-run rule in effect. Lewandowski finished with no walks and three strikeouts, scattering four hits in five innings. After inducing the game-ending groundout, her teammates surrounded her in the circle and celebrated the victory.

Brandywine will now await their seeding for the 2024 USCAA Small College World Series. Mont Alto will await their fate as an at-large team, but should receive a bid after being the top-ranked team for the past four weeks of the season. The USCAA tournament will be held May 12-16 at Heindl Field in DuBois, Pa.