LITTLE RIVER, S.C. — After splitting their two games the day prior, the Albion softball team bounced back in the first matchup of the day on their spring training trip with a dominant 9-0 win over Penn State Schuylkill, but they came up just short in their second game, losing 6-5 to Delaware Valley. 

Game 1 vs. Penn State Schuylkill 

Albion came out strong on both sides of the ball, holding Penn State Schuylkill scoreless while putting nine runs of their own on the board. The Britons tallied ten hits and nine RBIs at the plate, with freshman Elaina Braunscheidel leading the team with three hits while junior Allie Trantham paced the offense with three RBIs. 

In the bottom of the second inning, Kaitlyn Ruselink recorded a sacrifice RBI to bring home Cameron McDonald and give the Britons an early 1–0 lead. Albion's offense stayed quiet until the fifth inning, when they found their rhythm and exploded for five runs to extend the lead to 5–0. Kiersten Wilkin sparked the inning with a double to left field, followed by a single from Jessie Anstandig that brought Wilkin home. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Cameron McDonald showed patience at the plate and drew a walk, allowing Ryley Frank to score. 

The Britons' offense stayed hot in the sixth inning, adding three more runs to extend the lead to 9–0 and seal the shutout over Penn State Schuylkill. Lilly Zaskowski delivered a dominant performance in the circle, recording eleven strikeouts while not allowing a single run to cross the plate.

Game 2 vs. Delaware Valley 

The Britons battled Delaware Valley but came up just short, dropping the second game 6-5 after a sweep in the opener. 

The Britons stayed quiet at the plate until the sixth inning, when they ignited their offense. With two outs, Kaitlyn Ruselink launched a huge triple that drove in three runs. By the end of the sixth inning, the Britons had closed the gap, cutting the deficit to 6-4. 

In the top of the seventh, Ryley Frank drew a walk to spark the Britons' offense. Jessie Anstandig followed with a single, and Jaden Henderson laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. A fielder's error allowed Albion to score, cutting the deficit to 6-5 with two outs. Despite their late push, the Britons could not complete the comeback.

Up Next 
The Britons have an off day on Wednesday, March 11 but will return to action Thursday morning at 11 a.m. to face Immaculata, followed by a 1 p.m. matchup against Penn State Altoona.