Junior pitcher Jennifer Brann dominated this weekend for the Quakers, holding Brown to just one run on Saturday before throwing a perfect game on Sunday afternoon.
Credit: Nicole FridlingTwenty-one up, 21 down.
Junior right-hander Jennifer Brann set down every Brown batter she faced Sunday afternoon for the second perfect game in program history.
Brann joins one of the most exclusive record clubs in all of Penn sports, as the only other pitcher to throw a perfect game for the Quakers was Alexis Borden seven years ago.
Leading the Red and Blue with just under 78 innings pitched and a 2.61 earned run average, Brann has been similarly dominant all year long. Her perfect start gives her six complete games on the season, which also leads the team.
Of the 21 hitters she faced, Brann struck out 10, tying her career high. For the other 11 outs, she got some quality help from the defense. The seven fielders behind Brann and her battery mate, sophomore Sarah Ketring, did their jobs, but the defensive highlight wouldn’t come until the final inning.
A little bloop in the air to the left side of the infield from Brown senior pinch hitter Sofia Venegas looked like trouble before sophomore third baseman Lucy Yang snatched it out of the air. It was a dramatic finish to the most dominant pitching performance we’re likely to see in the Ivy League this season.
Brann’s masterpiece secured the sweep over the Bears for Penn softball after two gritty wins in the doubleheader on Saturday. In game one, the Quakers went down three runs before scoring six unanswered to win it. In game two, it was a dramatic walk-off win delivered by freshman left fielder Corrie Phillips after trailing by a run in the final inning.
Brann also pitched in game two, lasting four and a third innings and giving up just one run. Over the weekend, Brann's total ERA was just 0.62. Brann struck out four on Saturday, and gave up her one run on a solo homer before leaving the game. She has a 6-5 record from the circle.
Leading the conference in wins with 12, albeit, in more games, the Quakers will look to keep this new winning streak alive next weekend against Columbia. The team now has the third best winning percentage in the League, and they will look to gain even more momentum ahead of the Ivy League Championship Series on May 11 and 12. Brann will likely be back in the circle for several of Penn's games in the final stretch of the season.
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