The Muhlenberg softball team opened Centennial Conference play by dropping a pair of tight, low-scoring games at Swarthmore.

The Garnet (15-7, 2-0) began defense of its 2025 CC championship by winning the first game, 3-1, and the nightcap, 2-1, with home runs making the difference both times.

In the opening game, a sac fly in the second and a two-run homer in the fourth staked Swarthmore to a 3-0 lead. The Mules (15-7, 0-2) got a run back in the fifth when senior Scooter Hulsen led off with a single and wound up scoring on a squeeze bunt.

Muhlenberg put a runner on base in both the sixth and seventh innings but could not put any more runs on the board.

Hulsen went 3-for-3 in the loss.

The Garnet scored in the first inning of the second game, but Muhlenberg tied it in the fifth on a single, stolen base, and run-scoring single by junior Peri Kahn.

Swarthmore took the lead right back with a home run in the bottom of the fifth.

The Mules made a bid to tie the game in the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but the final two batters hit into a force at home and flied out.

Junior Josie Krieman and freshman Eden Clark combined to allow only four hits in the nightcap.