ASTON, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College softball team dropped its season-opening game to Penn State Brandywine in a 6-5 final on Wednesday afternoon at the Maple Zone Sports Complex. Game two was called after three innings due to darkness with PSU Brandywine leading 1-0.

Game One – Penn State Brandywine 6, Cedar Crest 5  

PSU Brandywine started the scoring in game one in the first inning junior after Payton Landis (Coatesville, Pa.) doubled to right center, which plated sophomore Meghan Ferry (Gloucester City, N.J.) to put the Nittany Lions up 1-0.

The Falcons pulled even at one in the top of the second inning as junior Reilly Mateljan (Friedens, Pa./Somerset Area) connected on a single to left field to bring around senior Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge). Freshman Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter) pulled Cedar Crest out in front in the third on an inside-the-park home run. The play also brought home graduate student Nicole Santaniello (Kissimmee, Fla./Osceola). The Falcons tacked on another, thanks to an RBI double from senior Rachel Savini (Wilmington, Del./Delaware Military Academy), which scored classmate Sophia Callari (Asbury, N.J./North Hunterdon) to make the score 4-1 in favor of Cedar Crest.

The Nittany Lions cut into the deficit after freshman Gianna Terpolilli (Hammonton, N.J.) and Ferry recorded back-to-back singles to begin a two-run bottom of the third inning. Terpolilli crossed home on a groundout while Ferry scored on freshman Karly Rees' (Oxford, Pa.) base knock as the Lions trimmed the margin to one, 4-3.

After both teams added a run in the fourth, Brandywine rallied to take the lead in the fifth inning. Freshman Taylor D'Attilio (Hammonton, N.J.) doubled to drive in Rees, who started the inning with a single, for the game-tying tally. In the next at-bat, freshman Jess James (Yardley, Pa.) delivered an RBI that plated junior Destiny Brophy (Bristol, Pa./Bristol) with the eventual game-winning run.

Sophomore Rebecca Halford (Garnet Valley, Pa.) picked up the win in the circle for Penn State Brandywine. She tossed the final three innings and only allowed one hit while striking out two. Freshman BB Aquila (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was tagged with the loss for the Falcons, surrendering three runs on five hits while fanning two and walking a pair.

Savini was the lone Cedar Crest player to register multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the setback.

Game Two – Penn State Brandywine 1, Cedar Crest 0 (Called after three innings due to darkness)

Landis put PSU Brandywine on the scoreboard in the nightcap after a sacrifice fly to right field, which was deep enough to plate Ferry for the lone score of the contest. The game was eventually called after three innings due to darkness.

Halford tossed all three innings for the Nittany Lions and allowed one hit and a walk. Sophomore Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush) also registered three innings in the circle for the Falcons and surrendered one run and two walks, while striking out two.

Kline registered the lone hit for Cedar Crest in game two.

Cedar Crest (0-1 overall) will head south and begin play in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Sunday, March 6, which will take place in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Falcons will square off against Eastern Mennonite University at 11:30 a.m. followed by a contest against Hilbert College at 1:30 p.m.

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