Junior Hayley Peterson tossed her fourth shutout of the season to help the Muhlenberg softball team defeat Dickinson, 2-0.
 
The Mules (10-18, 6-6 CC) split the Centennial Conference doubleheader with the Red Devils (9-21, 5-7 CC), who outscored the Mules 5-2 in the first game of the twin bill. By splitting the series, Muhlenberg moved back into a tie for fourth place in the CC standings with Franklin & Marshall, who was swept by Gettysburg.
 
Peterson was locked into a pitcher's duel through five innings with the same Dickinson pitcher that beat the Mules in the earlier game. Both teams were held to four baserunners through five innings, with Peterson retiring 11 straight batters at one point. The Red Devils threatened with runners on second and third and one out in the sixth, but Peterson induced a popup to the infield and then deflected a hard-hit line drive right to senior Courtney Simon, who threw the runner out from shortstop to end the inning.
 
Muhlenberg responded with both its runs in the bottom half of the frame. Junior Karissa Astrella knocked a base hit over the second baseman and into right center, starting a string of five consecutive base hits for the Mules. Pinch hitter Sydney Carey followed with a similar hit before Simon belted a ball through the left side to load the bases.
 
Junior Amelia Shelley drove home Astrella for the first run of the game with another single lofted into right center, and junior Hanna Caiola smashed a hard-hit grounder down the left field line to bring Carey home for the insurance run.
 
Peterson finished the Red Devils off by forcing two more groundouts before striking out her fourth batter of the evening to end the game. The shutout for Peterson was the sixth of her career and is also her 24th complete game.
 
Dickinson scored first in game one but the Mules answered right back with a run of their own to tie it after one inning. The Red Devils singled home another run in the third before adding three more tallies, including what proved to be the game-winner, in the sixth.
 
The Mules put forth a comeback attempt in the seventh, with freshman Sarah Schubert reaching on an error and stealing second base to start the inning. After a strikeout, sophomore Allyson Sweeney singled to move Schubert to third and Caiola brought Schubert home on a RBI groundout. Simon then singled through the left side to continue the inning, but the Red Devils then induced a groundout to stop the rally.
 
Simon finished the doubleheader with a team-best three hits. Astrella (pictured above) went 2-for-3 in the victory, while sophomore Kristina Qualben led Mule hitters with a 2-for-3 effort in the loss.
 
Freshman Nicole Bergamo pitched well in relief in game one, allowing only one earned run on five hits in 4 ²/3 innings while striking out two.
 
Senior Sarah Merlo stole her first base of the season in the first game as well, giving her eight for her career.