In a 1-1 game with two runners in scoring position and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, freshman
Genna Cicchetti sent a 1-1 pitch to left field to bring in the game-winning run in Muhlenberg softball's 2-1 win to open a season-ending split with Scranton on Senior Day. The Royal took the second game 2-0.
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The opener saw a passing of the torch of sorts with the senior class starting a seventh-inning rally that was finished by the underclassmen. Senior
Kristina Qualben doubled in the first at-bat of the frame before her pinch runner, sophomore
Nicole Atkins, moved to third on the next bat when senior
Kristy Selby reached on an error in which the shortstop mishandled a grounder. With runners on the corners, senior
Allyson Sweeney singled in Atkins to tie the game. Two batters later, Cicchetti singled in Selby's pinch runner, freshman
Natalie Smith, to win the game.
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Game two saw Scranton (26-12) score a pair of unearned runs, one in the third and one in the seventh.
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Qualben's double brought her career total to 37, which trails the program record by one. It was her 15
th two-bagger of the season, which is also one shy of the program record. She finished her career with 138 hits, which is tied for the ninth most all-time. Included in those hits are 57 extra-base knocks, which is second most all-time; her 22 extra-base hits this season are the second most in a season in program history.
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Sweeney registered two base hits on the day to finish with 107, while Selby had one hit to finish with 106.
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Freshman
Cora Bridgers fanned six batters in the second game, bringing her final total to 129. That numbers ranks second in a single-season in program history and tops among freshmen. Â
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As a team, the Mules (19-21) totaled 324 hits in 2019, the fifth most in any season in program history. Of those hits, 64 were doubles which ranks second in a single-season ever.
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