ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Ursinus softball team earned a split in a Centennial Conference doubleheader against Muhlenberg on Tuesday afternoon. The Bears suffered a tough 3-2 loss in eight innings in game one before bouncing back with a 3-1 win in game two behind a dominant outing from first-year pitcher Stephanie Wichman.
With the split, the Bears record moves to 16-17 overall and 4-10 in Centennial Conference action. Meanwhile, the Mules record now stands at 17-19 overall and 8-6 in conference play.
GAME ONE
Senior Mackenzie Brennan led the game off with a single and stole second to set the Bears up in scoring position early. Unfortunately, the Bears were unable to advance her any further after three-straight outs were recorded. Ursinus had its first two runners of the second inning reach after a walk and a throwing error from a bunt to third base. Junior Allyson Meakim lifted a fly ball to right field to score sophomore Maddie Solow to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Muhlenberg tied the game at one in the bottom half of the second with a two-out rally after a walk plus a triple. Ursinus loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth inning following a pair of singles and a hit by pitch. The Bears, however, were unable to push any runs across following a pair of shallow pop ups in foul territory. Muhlenberg took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning after drawing a bases loaded walk with no outs. Senior pitcher Kayla McTamney dug deep to prevent further damage in the inning for the Bears by recording the next three outs in order.
Solow started the Bears off with a single in the top of the sixth and was able to advance two bases on a sacrifice bunt in the next at-bat. Meakim then dropped a single into left center to score Solow and tied the game at two. Ursinus loaded the bases with one out following the RBI single, but Meakim was thrown out trying to score from third on flyout from Brennan. Ursinus was unable to advance a runner past first base in the next two innings and Muhlenberg loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning before walking off after a fielding error.
GAME TWO
The Bears loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning and took the early 1-0 lead after Meakim drew a walk. Muhlenberg put a pair of runners on with singles in the bottom half of the inning before Wichman forced a foul out to end the frame. Ursinus put multiple runners on bases in the next two innings which included loading the bases in the top of the third but could not further extend their lead. Ursinus then got singles from Solow and first-year Rachel Hartman to lead off the top of the fifth inning before the next three Bears were recorded to end the inning. The Mules knotted the game at one in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out single to right center after runners advanced to second and third base. Finally in the top of the seventh, the Bears cashed in with runners in scoring position by scoring two runs off two hits and two errors. Ursinus had runners advance to second and third with out before sophomore Sara Sullivan roped a single to centerfield to give the Bears the lead once again. A fielding error at second base in the ensuing at-bat drove in a second run for Ursinus to make it a 3-1 game. The Mules put the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh with one out after advancing runners to first and second base, but Wichman sealed the win for the Bears by recording the next two outs.
Wichman earned her first collegiate seven-inning complete game plus team-leading seventh win of the season after allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out three batters and walking one. Meakim drove in three of the Bears five runs scored in the doubleheader and Solow recorded three hits between the two games along with scoring two runs. Sullivan went 2-of-4 from the plate with one RBI in the game two win for the Bears. McTamney suffered the tough luck loss in the circle for game one after allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits in seven innings.
The Bears will conclude their regular season on Saturday, April 30th as they will travel to face McDaniel for a Centennial Conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.