PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania softball team (5-2) turned in their fifth straight home opening victory, cruising past Lafayette (0-7) in the doubleheader on a bright and sunny day at Penn Park. The Quakers defeated the Leopards 11-3 (F/5) in the first game and 9-1 (F/5) in the second to sweep the doubleheader.
 
Quaker Notemeal

• Jennifer Brann (150) tallied two strikeouts in the first game of the doubleheader and needs just six more strikeouts to tie Mikenzie Voves (156) for ninth on the all-time strikeout list.
• With the win against the Leopards, Brann (15) has tied Lanie Moore for eleventh on the all-time list. Next up is Mikenzie Voves (17) in tenth place.
• Emma Nedley hit a grand slam in the opener and became the first Quakers player to hit a grand slam since Lucy Yang on March 6, 2018.
• Nedley is the first Quakers player to reach double figures in RBI. It took her until April 3 to reach 10 RBI last season and Nedley has accomplished this almost a month sooner in just seven games.
• Bella Fiorentino made her collegiate pitching debut in game two, throwing a scoreless inning and striking out one.

 
How It Happened
Right out of the gate, the Quakers bats jumped all over the Lafayette pitchers. The Quakers scored 14 runs in the two first innings combined, announcing their presence and supporting strong efforts from the pitching staff.

In the opener, things got off to an electric start, with Emma Nedley launching a grand slam in the first inning. Just the second home run for the Quakers this season and the first grand slam by any Quaker in almost two years, the bats continued to show off. Laurel McKelvey and Sarah Ketring tallied first inning RBI and Lucy Yang added another run for good measure in the second. While the Leopards were able to respond on two occasions, the Quakers matched them at each turn, with two runs in the fourth inning following a Lafayette home run and a Tabitha Dyer two-RBI double to end the first game early in the fifth.

In the nightcap, the Quakers had an early 1-0 deficit to overcome, but it proved to be little match for the Red and Blue offense. A double-steal from Corrie Phillips and Sarah Schneider tied the game and after RBI singles from Dyer and Bella Fiorentino, Ashley Waco blasted the game open with a bases-clearing double to make it 6-1. Nedley and Phillips added on to big days later in the game with an RBI single and RBI double respectively to put it out of reach.
 
What's Next
The Quakers head to the Sunshine State, traveling to Florida for six games over a span of five days. The Quakers will face Saint Louis and Niagara on Friday, March 6 and continue the trip with games against Detroit Mercy, #12 Florida State, Cleveland State and #7 Florida.