MEN’S GOLF
Muhlenberg is in fifth place after the first of three rounds at the Centennial Conference Championships at Pilgrim’s Oak Golf Club in Peach Bottom, Pa.

The Mules shot a 331, two strokes behind fourth-place Swarthmore and 11 strokes off the lead.

Senior Chris Walach was one of only eight golfers to break 80, shooting a 79. Freshman Bill Snow came in with an 80.

Click here for Muhlenberg box score.
Click here for complete results.

BASEBALL
King’s scored 17 runs in the final three innings to break open a close game and defeat Muhlenberg, 22-6.

The Mules (15-17-1) scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Freshman John Kalis led off with a double down the right-field line and went to third when sophomore Daniel Asip’s bunt found a hole in the infield. Kalis scored on a groundout, and Asip came in on a two-out single up the middle by senior Chad Hegstrom.

The Monarchs (19-14) went back on top with two unearned runs in the fifth. The score remained 5-4 until the seventh, when King’s scored three times to begin to pull away.

Freshman Eric Hammond reached base in all five plate appearances, with three hits and two walks, and scored two runs.

Click here for line score.

The Centennial Conference replaced its individual postseason tournament with a team tournament for 2006. Although many of the Muhlenberg women’s players enjoyed playing in the individual tourney, they are

Kimmelman has won seven of her last 10 singles matches.

not going to complain about the opportunity the team tournament presents.

“Of course I can say I like it now because we still have a chance to win [the conference championship]” joked junior Pam Kimmleman.

To win their third CC title since 2002, the Mules will first have to get past a team they lost to just a week ago. Third-seeded Muhlenberg (8-2 CC) takes on second-seeded Washington (9-1) in a first-round match tomorrow at 3:00. The first semifinal pairs host and regular-season champion Swarthmore (10-0) with Johns Hopkins (7-3).

Saturday’s winners meet Sunday at 1:00 for the CC championship.

The Mules fell to the Shorewomen, 5-4, last Friday. Washington won two out of three doubles matches, and the teams split the singles. The close score was not surprising, considering that Washington is ranked eighth in the Atlantic South Region, one spot ahead of Muhlenberg.

“It showed us that there isn’t really a huge difference in ability,” said Kimmelman. “If we stay focused and confident we can beat them.”

Kimmelman was involved in one of the pivotal matches, as she and freshman Carly Rotfeld lost at No. 2 doubles in a 7-5 tiebreaker. The No. 1 doubles team of senior Amy Schmidt and freshman Jenn Powell, playing together for just the second time, scored an impressive 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles against a Shorewomen duo that is ranked 11th in the region and was 7-0 in CC competition.

Schmidt and Kimmelman won their singles matches at the top two spots. Rotfeld, at No. 3, forced tiebreaker in the second set. Junior Kelly Fraser won a marathon No. 6 singles match in a third-set tiebreaker.

“I think it’s an advantage for both teams [playing again so soon], but especially for us since we are coming in having lost,” noted Kimmelman. “If we can remember the things we did wrong, that will help us pull through this time.”