Penn State Brandywine Claims First Softball National Championship

DUBOIS, Pa. – Kaylee Mushinski singled in Jess James with the winning run with no out in the bottom of the seventh as Penn State Brandywine defeated Mississippi University for Women 10-9 for the 2023 USCAA Softball National Championship on Thursday. 

The Nittany Lions completed an undefeated run through the tournament to finish off with a 35-8 record, while the Owls of MUW completed a 27-20 season. 

Penn State Brandywine scored three times in the bottom of the first with a run on a groundout by Payton Landis and two runs scoring on an error. MUW answered with a pair in the second on an error and a sacrifice fly by Jessica Deming. 

Crystal Cassario pushed the Brandywine lead to 4-2 on an RBI single in the third before the Owls took charge. After scoring a run on an error in the fifth, Maiya Joe doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth as MUW took a 5-4 lead. 

The scoring pace picked up in the bottom of the sixth as Brandywine put up a four-spot highlighted by a two-run double by Meghan Ferry to lead 8-5. MUW wasn’t done yet they responded with a four-spot of their own in the top of the seventh. Riley Phillips hit a two-run home run, along with RBI singles from Ashton Farnell and Maddy Suggs to put the Owls back up 9-8. 

Penn State Brandywine responded again with a pair of runs as Lexi Bussenger started with a single and scored on James triple to tie the game. Mushinski followed with a single for the game-winning run. 

Bussenger was 3-for-4 to lead Penn State Brandywine, while Landis and Emily Reagan had two hits apiece. Cassario picked up the win throwing one inning of relief. Alysa Newman and Madison Crosby were 3-for-4 apiece for the Owls.

Tournament MVP

Meghan Ferry - Penn State Brandywine

All-Tournament Team

Bryanna Dewey - D'Youville University

Hannah Bardeen - D'Youville University

Jazmyn Moetului - Salem University

Jessica Demming - Mississippi University for Women

Riley Phillips - Mississippi University for Women

Rylie Grisham - Mississippi University for Women

Kaylee Mushinski - Penn State Brandywine

Crystal Cassario - Penn State Brandywine

Jess James - Penn State Brandywine