SB Group vs Brandeis
Tyler Schueck
5
Winner Penn State Berks PSBW 32-8
3
Brandeis BRSOFT 27-7-1
Winner
Penn State Berks PSBW
32-8
5
Final
3
Brandeis BRSOFT
27-7-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Penn State Berks PSBW 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 5 9 4
Brandeis BRSOFT 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 0

W: Rozick, Jess (15-4) L: Scottie Todd (12-5)

Game Recap: Softball |

Nittany Lions down Brandeis in opening round of NCAA Tournament

ITHACA, N.Y. - The Penn State Berks softball team worked out of a late jam in a 5-3 victory over Brandeis University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon at Kostrinsky Field.

The Nittany Lions improve to 32-8 on the season, while Brandeis drops to 27-7-1 overall. Berks will face host Ithaca College, who defeated Farmingdale State College later on Friday. The Judges will face Farmingdale State in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon.

Brandeis got on the board with a pair of unearned runs off a two-run home run by pitcher Scottie Todd in the bottom of the first. The Nittany Lions chipped away at the deficit in the top of the second beginning with a lead off walk by Cori Dickinson. Becca Faust moved her up to second and Abby Files brought Dickinson around to score with a double to right center.

Jess Rozick had a one-out double over the right fielders head in the top of the fifth inning. Hunter Hart followed with a line drive single that hit off the tip of the second baseman's glove, giving Berks runners on the corners with one down. Maddy Davidson grounded out to the second baseman to score Rozick with the tying run.

Dickinson walked to leadoff the sixth, before a fly out and a ground out advanced Dickinson to second with two outs. Heather Rissell lined a double over the center fielders head to give Berks a 3-2 lead. Rozick followed with a single through the middle to bring around Rissell from second. Hart lined a double off the wall in right field to pad the lead to 5-2.

Rozick set down the batters in order in the bottom of the sixth. Sophia Cinti led off the seventh with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Ashley Berry, who was stranded at first base.

In the bottom of the seventh, the leadoff batter for Brandeis reached on a Berks error. Rozick got a fly out and then a line out to Davidson in right field to get one out away from ending the game. The Nittany Lions had back-to-back throwing errors to allow another unearned run and make it a 5-3 game with runners on second and third. Rozick, the senior standout, dug deep and got a strikeout swinging to end the game and secure the victory for Berks.

Rozick finished 2-for-3 with one double, one RBI, and two runs scored, while Rissell was 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI, and a run scored. Hart also recorded two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Faust, Files, and Cinti all recorded a hit for Berks.

In the pitcher's circle, Rozick went the distance to earn improve to 15-4 on the season. The right-hander surrendered just three hits and allowed three unearned runs, while striking out nine batters. Rozick tallied an inning ending strikeout in five of the seven innings of the game.

The Nittany Lions will play the winners of Ithaca and Farmingdale State on Saturday, May 11 at 12 p.m.
 
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