ASTON, Pa. - For the second consecutive season, top-seeded Penn State Brandywine hoisted the United East Conference Softball Championship banner as the Nittany Lions walked off with a 3-2 victory against third-seeded Penn College on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the loss, Penn College will represent the United East in the upcoming NCAA Championship as Penn State Brandywine is still a provisional Division III member and therefore does not have access to the national championship. The Wildcats will learn where they are going and who they will play with the reveal of the NCAA Softball Selection Show at 11 AM on Monday.
Penn State Brandywine finished their 2026 season with a 34-7 record and their 11th-straight conference championship title overall.
Game 6 No. 1 Penn State Brandywine def. #3 Penn College, 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
Kaylee Mushinski proved to be the walk off hero for Brandywine with a two-out RBI single to deep left center to score Valentina Capra from third base for the game winner. Mushinski also started the game off with an RBI single in her first at-bat to score Lexi Bussenger and take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Penn College responded by tying the game at 1-1 in the second frame when Arista Fine's single scored Harley Kunes and Taylor Brown drove in the go-ahead run in the third inning with a single to score Sofia Mileto.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Brandywine pulled the momentum back to the home dugout in the fifth when Bussenger capitalized on a PCT error to cross home plate and tie the game at 2-2.
The Wildcats put a runner on in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but April Lewandowski was able to keep the runners from reaching scoring position to set up the Nittany Lions' possibility for their second consecutive walk off for the championship.
Lewandowski spotted eight hits while Bussenger finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of runs scored. Mushinski and Ava Rodgers also earned two hits in the victory.
Mileto led the Wildcats at the dish with three hits while Brown and Kunes also finished with two hits.
Game 5: No. 3 Penn College def. No. 5 Penn State Harrisburg, 3-1 (BOX SCORE)
Payton Crawford continued to do damage in the tournament with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning after Mileto hit a one-out triple. Mackenzi Tice did not allow a Harrisburg runner until the fourth inning, but it wasn't until the top of the sixth inning when Lauren Maguire scored on a ground out to cut into the Wildcat lead.
Ryleigh Rinker added another PCT run in the bottom of the frame for the 3-1 lead and Tice stranded a runner on first in the top of the seventh to keep her team alive for thew championship.
Tice scattered six hits while Rinker went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the offense. Maguire and Madisen Minney both earned two of Penn State Harrisburg's six hits on the day.
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The United East boasts 14 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Harrisburg, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.