Softball: Garnet Bats Silenced In Allentown
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Muhlenberg pitchers held the vaunted Garnet offense to eight hits en route to a sweep of the Tuesday afternoon doubleheader. Swarthmore dips to 16-11 overall, 3-3 CC while the Mules improved their record to 12-14 overall and 5-3 in the CC.
Swarthmore came into the afternoon leading the Centennial Conference in batting average (.334), runs (152), hits (223), and doubles (38) yet ran into a pair of solid pitching performances that limited any scoring chances.
The Mules chipped away at a late 3-2 Swarthmore lead in game one, eventually scoring the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth to win 4-3.
Junior Marianna Klingaman (3-4) took the loss for Swarthmore despite allowing only one earned run in 7.2 innings while striking out five.
Freshman Christine Sendelsly, sophomore Katie Gold, and junior Kelly Siano all collected a hit and scored a run.
Swarthmore turned to freshman Alexandra Zelaski, winner of seven straight, in game two. The right-hander did her part in the early going, allowing only one hit in the first four innings. Mules starter Lara Kestenbaum one-upped Zelaski, not allowing a Swarthmore hit ( a single by senior Stephanie Rogan) until the sixth.
The Mules scratched out a run in the fifth and then got three more in the sixth, riding Kestenbaum's two-hit shut-out to a 4-0 victory.
Rogan and Gold posted base hits for Swarthmore while Zelaski (8-3) suffered the loss.
The Garnet look to get back on the horse this Saturday, April 15 when they welcome Gettysburg to Clothier Fields for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.