The Muhlenberg softball team scored five runs in its first inning of the season and barely slowed down, opening 2020 with wins against Eastern Mennonite (10-0) and St. Elizabeth (11-2).

The day made for a successful debut for new Mule head coach Sarah Leavenworth, who in her first day on the job saw the program do something it had never done in the first 41 years of its history: win its first two games of a season via the eight-run rule.

It was also only the third time in program history, the first since 2011, that Muhlenberg reached double digits in runs in each of its first two games.

Two batters into the season, the Mules had their first run, with sophomore Sarah Karmazyn singling in classmate Kristin Oberg, who had reached on a dropped fly ball and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

But the real keynote was delivered by sophomore Cora Bridgers, who with two on and two out in the first inning cranked a pitch over the fence in left for her first career home run.

Bridgers finished 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring three runs, and also did damage with her arm and glove. She earned the win with four shutout innings in the circle, allowing only two hits and striking out six, and preserved the shutout by starting a game-ending 6-2-3 double play after moving to shortstop for the final inning.

Karmazyn also had three hits in the opening game, while sophomore Genna Cicchetti went 2-for-3 and scored two runs and freshman Sara Fallon recorded two hits and an RBI in her first collegiate game.

Senior Nicole Bergamo, who was a combined 0-for-10 at the plate the last two seasons, hit a two-run double in the third.

The Mules also hit a home run in the second game, but this one didn't leave the yard. Senior Sarah Schubert led off the top of the fifth by driving a pitch into the corner in right field and easily circling the bases for her fourth career home run.

Schubert's inside-the-parker broke a 1-1 tie and opened the floodgates for Muhlenberg to score 10 runs in the frame. The Mules took advantage of three St. Elizabeth errors and three walks but also got two-run hits from Bridgers (a double), junior Sophie Chong, Karmazyn and Oberg.

Chong pitched five innings to earn the complete-game win in her first start of the season.