Men’s tennis snaps skid

Softball Splits, Men’s Golf Finishes Fourth The Muhlenberg softball team split a non-conference doubleheader at Widener. The Mules won the first game, 3-1, on the strength of a four-hitter from junior Alyssa Bruckner. Bruckner allowed just three base runners over the first six innings, only one of which reached second. Muhlenberg opened the scoring in the fourth when junior Ashley Brewer came up to pinch hit with the bases loaded and two outs. Brewer delivered with a single up the middle - the 100th hit of her career - plating two runs. The Mules tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Freshman Devon Barber singled and stole second, and junior Jess Kasza ripped a double to left to score Barber. Bruckner finally ran into some trouble in the final frame, giving up a one-out home run. But after the next batter singled, she induced a groundout to third and pop-up to herself to end the game. Widener took Game 2 of the doubleheader, 5-4, in eight innings, winning on a throwing error when trying to sacrifice bunt the runner on second over. Muhlenberg (12-17) trailed, 4-2, heading into the sixth. Senior Jenna Van Waalwijk led of the inning with a single and Kasza followed suit. After both were sacrificed over, Brewer again came up to pinch hit and again delivered, singling through the right side to plate one. The Mules then drew even in the seventh. Freshman Angie Sisco led off with a double. Freshman Jessica Costa’s bunt attempt ended with her on second and Sisco’s pinch runner, freshman Jenna Littman, on third. Littman then scored the tying run on an error. Sisco gave up back-to-back hits with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but worked out of the jam with a groundout back to the mound. But as an error helped Muhlenberg tie it in the seventh, another gave the Pride (21-13) the win in the eighth. Click here for line scores. Click for complete stats: Game 1 | Game 2 The men’s golf team finished fourth in the Lehigh Valley Cup in its final competition before the Centennial Conference Championships. Senior Biff Slocum shot a team-best 77, eight strokes behind the leader and tied for ninth overall. Click here for box score.

After the Muhlenberg men’s tennis team’s victory over Ursinus, senior Mark Apostolos noted the importance of “team cohesion” in bringing the Mules’ six-match losing streak to an end.

The term elicited some laughter from his teammates, but it’s hard to argue: There’s nothing more cohesive than a 9-0 contest in which everybody wins.

“The team is a playing a lot better,” said Apostolos. “Everyone is playing up to their potential. We won some tight matches today.”

Nearly all of those tight matches came in doubles. Sophomore Jordan Rutt and junior Robbie Goldwein (left) won at No. 1 doubles, 8-6, and Apostolos and senior Yoni Farber won at No. 2 by the same score.

Third doubles was even closer, needing a tiebreak to decide it. Playing together for the first time, senior Matt Kral and sophomore Michael Robbins pulled out the win, 7-4, by taking the final three points.

“Robbins has been doing a great job filling in,” commented Apostolos. “He and Matt played really well. It’s tough going out there not having played together. It was impressive.”

There was far less drama on the singles side – all six Mules (4-7, 2-5) won in straight sets. Kral did not drop a game at No. 4, and Apostolos dropped just one at No. 5.

About the only drama that remained was the final match still playing, which Goldwein took, 6-3, 6-4, with his teammates standing along the fence to watch.

“Everyone’s playing hard and no one’s giving up,” said Apostolos. “Even when the match was clinched everyone was playing as hard as they can.”
Click here for box score.