The Muhlenberg softball team dropped a pair of close games to MIT, 5-3, and 3-1, in its first home doubleheader of 2023.

The Engineers (7-1), who have made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 32 games last season, were shut out in the first four innings of each game, scoring all eight of their runs from the fifth inning on. 

After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the fifth inning of the opener, the Mules (6-8) tied the score in the bottom of the inning on a single up the middle by sophomore Kaitlyn Buurman. 

MIT appeared to break open the game with four in the top of the seventh, but Muhlenberg attempted a comeback in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Maddy Svenningsen singled in one run, then teamed up with junior Sophia Cicchetti on a double steal that brought in another run. The game ended with the tying run at bat.

Cicchetti and junior Gillian Zack each reached base three times with a single and two walks.

Muhlenberg's first seven batters of the second game were retired before senior Sara Fallon (pictured above, number 18) blasted a home run, the second of her career, with one out in the third. 

The Mules loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth but could not push a run across, and it came back to hurt them when MIT plated two runs in the fifth to take the lead for good.

Zack added two more hits in the second game, and junior Kersti Svenningsen had a pinch-hit single in the seventh to get the tying run to the plate.