SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore College Softball battled to force a winner-take-all in the Centennial Conference Championship, as they ultimately fell to Muhlenberg College on Sunday.

The top-seeded Garnet defeated Gettysburg College 5-0 in the first game of the day, and Muhlenberg College in the second game, 9-6 to force a winner-take-all game seven. In the final contest, the Garnet fell to the Mules, 3-2 in 9 innings. The 2022 season saw the Garnet win 29 games, the most in program history.

Swarthmore 5, Gettysburg 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a lead-off single to left field by Cassidy Cheong, the junior advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Maya Estrera. Grace Taylor sparked the offense as she came up clutch with an RBI pinch hit double to right center field to score Cheong from second. Alex Simon kept the hot bat going as the sophomore tripled down the left field allowing a run to score. An Olivia McClammy double was followed by a Kate Hart double to left center field as Swarthmore took a 4-0 in the bottom of the third inning. McClammy scored the fifth run of the game in the top of the fifth as she scored from third on a wild pitch.

- Gwen Glatz earned the win in the circle as the senior allowed two hits, walked a pair and struck out three in seven scoreless innings.

Swarthmore 9, Muhlenberg 6
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Swarthmore got the scoring started early as Simon notched her Centennial Conference leading sixth home run of the season to deep left field. Estrera, who reached base on an error, scored on the home run by Simon.

- Laura Hirai led off the bottom of the third with a triple down the left field line, and would score on an RBI single up the middle by Simon. Muhlenberg took a 6-4 lead in the top half of the fourth. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Simon led the inning off with an infield single to the short stop. The sophomore advanced to second on a single through the left side by Glatz and would score on an RBI single to left center by McClammy. Swarthmore took the lead on a single to second by Sam Hastings, and would increase their lead to 8-6 on an RBI single by Cheong. Glatz added an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth as Swarthmore extended its lead to 9-6.

- Meg Ozawa started the game in the circle, and threw three innings for the Garnet. Glatz earned the win as she allowed one hit and a run in four innings pitched.
 
Swarthmore 2, Muhlenberg 3 (9 Innings)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Muhlenberg scored quickly in the bottom of the first inning off back-to-back RBI doubles by Gillian Zack and Kaitlyn Buurman.  In the top half of the fourth inning, Swarthmore cut into the Muhlenberg lead as Emily Bertrand double to right center field knocking in from first base.

- The Garnet and Mules would enter the top of the seventh inning with a 2-1 score. Hirai reached base on an error by the Mules shortstop, and would advance to second as Glatz walked. McClammy stepped to the plate and roped an RBI single down the left field line to score Hirai as Swarthmore tied the game up at 2-2. The Mules would be held scoreless in the seventh as the Centennial Conference Championship game would head to extra innings. 

- In extras, both pitchers worked out of jams as the offense got on base early and often, but no runs would cross the plate. Sarah Karmazyn hit a walk-off home to center field to give Muhlenberg the 3-2 victory and the Centennial Conference Championship.

- Glatz went three innings with five hits, three strikeouts and two runs with the start in the circle. Ozawa allowed four hits, one run and fanned five in five innings of work in the circle.


UP NEXT
The Garnet (29-6) will await their fate as the the NCAA makes its selection for 2022 NCAA Softball Tournament on Monday at 1p.m.