Release courtesy of Muhlenberg Athletic Communications

One bad inning was the difference as the Muhlenberg softball team dropped its first game of the NCAA Tournament, 4-1 to host Tufts.

The Mules (22-21) will play the loser of the game between top-seeded Rowan and Cabrini in an elimination game around 2:30 on Saturday.

The Jumbos (33-10) scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of missed opportunities by Muhlenberg to get outs.

Freshman Justine Bergara came on in relief in the inning and shut down Tufts the rest of the way, allowing four hits in five scoreless innings. She got the third out with at least one runner in scoring position in every inning from the second through the fifth.

After being held to one baserunner in the first four innings by a pitcher who ranks 10th in Division III in ERA, Muhlenberg started to chip away in the fifth. Bergara walked with two outs and came all the way around to score (pictured above) when a single by senior Cora Bridgers got past the Tufts right fielder.

The Mules got the tying run to the plate with two outs in the sixth but could not cash in any more runs, and they went down 1-2-3 in the seventh.

Senior Genna Cicchetti had the most impressive batted ball of the day for the Mules, sending a long drive deep into left center only to have it run down on a tremendous catch by the Jumbo left fielder.

Freshman Kaitlyn Buurman had a single for Muhlenberg and also turned an unassisted double play at first base.