Just one day into the Centennial Conference season, the Muhlenberg softball team has already achieved something that the 2016 team never did.
The Mules opened their CC slate with a doubleheader sweep at Washington College, winning the first game 6-3 before capturing the nightcap, 2-0, behind the six-hit pitching of junior
Hayley Peterson. Last spring, Muhlenberg split all eight of its CC twinbills; its last CC sweep was at Washington two years ago.
Junior
Amelia Shelley drove in four runs in the two games, and junior
Karissa Astrella doubled in each game and knocked in three.
Junior
Haley Fedak earned the win in the opener, pitching into the seventh inning and striking out six. She exited with one out to go after the Shorewomen (10-12, 0-2) scored one run and loaded the bases. Freshman
Nicole Bergamo came in to get a called third strike on the outside corner on the only batter she faced, securing the win and earning her first career save.
The Mules (5-7, 2-0) trailed 1-0 before Shelley's single up the middle brought in the tying run in fourth. Muhlenberg broke the game open with five in the next inning, highlighted by Astrella's two-run double and a two-out, two-run single by Shelley. Senior
Courtney Simon also singled in a run in the big inning.
In the second game, Peterson went the distance for her third career shutout. She did not walk a batter and struck out three. Washington threatened to score after a leadoff triple in the fourth, but on the next batter, sophomore
Kristina Qualben snagged a line drive at third base and tagged the base for an unassisted double play.
The Shorewomen also advanced a runner to third with two outs in the seventh, but just as in the opener, the game ended on a called strike three with the potential tying runs on base.
Muhlenberg used its three hits efficiently to score two runs. In the second, Qualben led off with a single and came in on Shelley's double to left. Peterson - in the batting order for the first time in her Mule career - walked to lead off the fifth, beat the throw to second on a bunt, and scored on Astrella's double.
