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After fouling off the first pitch with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the third, Karissa Astrella winced in pain and grabbed at her left shoulder, which seemed to have popped out on the swing. The trainers came to look at her and treated the shoulder, and after a short delay Astrella proclaimed herself fit to continue.

Astrella popped the next pitch over the fence in left for her first career home run - a grand slam that was part of a nine-RBI day for the sophomore as the Muhlenberg softball team swept a doubleheader at King's, 3-1 and 8-6.

Sophomore Hayley Peterson pitched a complete-game five-hitter in the opener, allowing only two runners past second base and retiring 10 of the final 11 hitters. The Mules (4-8), playing for the first time since returning from Spring Break in Florida, trailed 1-0 before Astrella hit a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fourth.

Two innings later, sophomore Amelia Shelley doubled with one out and came in to score an insurance run (pictured above) on another two-out hit by Astrella.

The second game offered much more drama. Astrella's slam gave Muhlenberg a 5-1 lead, but the Monarchs (6-6) came back with one in the third and four in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead.

The Mules were down to their last out in the top of the seventh before senior Taylor Trifiolis showed some pop of her own, slamming a home run to center to tie the game. A hard infield single by sophomore Haley Fedak and a hit by pitch set the stage yet again for Astrella, who doubled to the gap in right-center to plate both runners.

King's threatened in the bottom of the inning, but with two outs and two on, Trifiolis dove to her right at second base to stop a ball up the middle, then flipped to shortstop for the game-ending forceout.

Freshman Kristy Selby, who drove in the Mules' first run, pitched the seventh to earn her first career save. Fedak picked up the win, striking out six in six innings, including three straight with the bases loaded to end the third.

Astrella's six RBI in the nightcap were one short of the school record, and her nine RBI on the day - one more than she had all last year - all came with two out.

Senior Amie DeFeo had two hits in the second game, and Shelley scored four runs and stroked a pair of doubles in the twinbill.