Allentown, Pa. - One day after scoring 31 runs in a pair of wins, Gettysburg College's softball team could only push across one unearned run while suffering a pair of setbacks to Centennial Conference foe Muhlenberg College on Sunday at Cedarcreek Field.
 
The Mules (16-18, 7-5 CC) used a late run to edge the Bullets (16-14, 7-7 CC), 1-0, in Sunday's opener before using a three-run fifth to rally for a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.
 
Muhlenberg moved into a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot with McDaniel College. The Mules and Green Terror are both 7-5 with two conference doubleheaders remaining. 
 
Gettysburg slipped to sixth place with only next Saturday's twin bill with Haverford College remaining on its conference slate. 
 
Game 1
 
Sunday's opener was a pitcher's duel between freshman Paige Forry (Reading, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) and Muhlenberg's Raya Kuhns. Both pitchers fired complete games and combined to allow just one extra-base hit in the contest.
 
That extra-base hit was a one-out double for the Mules' Genna Cicchetti in the bottom of the sixth inning. Cicchetti moved to third on a passed ball before coming home with the game's only run on a Kaitlyn Buurman sacrifice fly.
 
Freshman Carlie Goldstein (Verona, N.J./Verona) hit a two-out single in the top of the seventh to get the tying run on base, but Kuhns got a groundout to end the game.
 
Despite suffering the loss, Forry (9-5) turned in another strong outing in the pitching circle, scattering five hits and walking two while striking out four batters.
 
Gettysburg held a 6-5 advantage in hits for the game but stranded six baserunners in the contest, including a pair in the first inning. The Bullets never had a baserunner reach third in the contest.
 
Goldstein, sophomore Giovanna Komst (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry High School), freshman Lauren O'Leary (Manasquan, N.J./Jackson Memorial), junior Jess Campana (Brick, N.J./Saint John Vianney), freshman Elliana Hopple (Collegeville, Pa./The Episcopal Academy), sophomore Julia Smith (Marydel, Md./Queen Anne's County) accounted for Gettysburg's six hits, all of which were singles.
 
Game 2
 
Gettysburg took an early lead in Sunday's nightcap, only to see Muhlenberg use a three-run fifth inning to rally for a 3-1 victory to complete the doubleheader sweep.
 
Junior Olivia Moser (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) drew a walk to lead off the top of the second, and sophomore Allegra DeCandia (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge High School) followed with a double to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Moser then scored the game's first run as sophomore Bailey Quinn (Hanford, Calif./Robinson Secondary School) reached on an error by the Mules.
 
The Bullets could not do any more damage in the second, stranding a pair of runners, and also doing the same in the third. 
 
Muhlenberg used a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth, using three straight singles to load the bases. Kristin Oberg then connected on a two-run double, with a third run coming around to score on the play following a Gettysburg throwing error.
 
Hopple drew a one-out walk in the visitor's sixth, but that would be the only time the Bullets would safely reach base in the final two innings as Mules' pitcher Cora Bridgers closed out the complete-game win, finishing with 12 strikeouts.
 
Junior Jasmin Herrera (Hollywood, Fla./Cooper City) tossed a pair of scoreless innings for Gettysburg while scattering three hits and fanning three batters.  Sophomore Megan Hughes (Woodstock, Md./Marriotts Ridge) (3-4) was charged with the loss after surrendering three runs on six hits while striking out five Mules.  
 
Muhlenberg collected nine hits in the game two victory versus four for the Bullets. The Mules left eight runners on base in the contest while Gettysburg stranded six runners. Both teams committed one error.
 
DeCandia's double marked Gettysburg's only extra-base hit of the doubleheader. Komst added a hit and stole a base while Quinn and Smith chipped in with a base hit apiece. 
 
Up Next
 
Gettysburg visits Messiah College on Thursday for its non-conference finale, which is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Grantham. The Bullets will then host Haverford on Saturday in a Centennial Conference twin bill to close out the regular season.