WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 21, 2025) -- On a windy Friday afternoon, the King's College softball team lost both in the non-conference doubleheader with Muhlenberg College, 5-0 and 8-0, to open their 2025 home slate at the Softball Field at Betzler. With the setbacks, the Monarchs drop to 4-8 overall, while the Mules improve to 11-5.
 
Game 1 – L, 0-5:
The King's (4-8) defense came to play early as Breanna Goldspiel threw out the runner advancing home to keep the game scoreless after the top of the first. The Monarchs put two on in the bottom of the frame, but the Muhlenberg (11-5) defense matched that effort and tagged out the King's runner at home to preserve the 0-0 tie.
 
The Mules capitalized in the top of the second, scoring on a pair of hits. There was a hit in each of the next three half innings before Muhlenberg tacked on an insurance run with a one-out home run that bounced off the top of the right-field fence as the Mules lead increased to 2-0.
 
Emily Novicki led off the bottom of the fourth with a single through the right side but was stranded at second as King's continued to trail, 2-0. After a quick three-up-three-down inning by both squads in the fifth, Muhlenberg extended their advantage to 4-0 on a pair of hits in the sixth.
 
The Monarchs showed some life in the bottom of the sixth as Paige Bergan singled to left to lead off and Novicki had another outfield hit with one out to put two runners on, but the Muhlenberg defense delivered again and kept the King's offense at bay.
 
One more insurance run in the seventh by the Mules shut the door on a comeback as the Monarchs dropped game one, 5-0.
 
Novicki went 3-for-3 with a double, while Bergan had a 2-for-2 effort in the setback. Both Harley Sullivan and Ellie Higdon also had hits in the loss. Maura Furst picked up the loss as the starter, throwing 5.1 innings.
 
Kaya Mahy led the Mules as she went 3-for-4 with three runs, a double, a home run, and an RBI. Justine Bergara earned the win through the first four scoreless frames, while Abigail Kim picked up the save in the final 3.0 innings of relief.
 
Game 2 – L, 0-8:
It was a similar story to start game two as the King's defense faced just three batters in the top of the first before Bergan hit a two-out single and Meghan Marianelli walked to spark the offense, but the Monarch bats were stifled there as the game remained scoreless through one.

Muhlenberg got on the board in the top of the second off a Monarch miscue before adding a run in the third to take a 2-0 lead through three innings. Each team put runners on in the next two frames but were unable to get any runs across.
 
The Mules exploded for another two runs on three hits in the sixth and another four tallies on four hits in the seventh as the lead swelled to 8-0, and the defense shut the door on a King's comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh as the Monarchs dropped game two, 8-0, on Friday afternoon.
 
Began had her second multi-hit effort on the day, going 2-for-3, and Sullivan also had a hit in the loss. Courtney Grogan took the loss as the starter, giving up one earned run through 3.0 innings.
 
Kaya Mahy had another strong outing, going 3-for-3 with three runs and a double. Abigail Kim earned the win as the starter, throwing 4.0 scoreless innings.
 
--
 
King's is set to return to their home field tomorrow as they host Stevens Institute of Technology in their Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) opener. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre, PA.