What will these teams do for an encore?

In the final doubleheader of the regular season, the softball teams from Muhlenberg and Gettysburg traded big moments and clutch hits before every ounce of daylight ran out, each winning a game 7-6.

The two teams entered the twinbill locked into playing each other in the Centennial Conference playoffs next Thursday, with only the location to be decided. Gettysburg needed a sweep and Muhlenberg only a split to secure a home game. When the Mules scored three in the top of the seventh of the nightcap and retired the Bullets in the bottom of the inning, it gave them hosting rights for the playoff game on Thursday, April 30.

It also gave Muhlenberg its 31st win of the season, tying the Muhlenberg College record for any sport, set by the 2013 softball team.

After a lightning delay of an hour pushed back the start of the first game, the Mules (31-9, 12-4) trailed for most of it. Down 3-2 after six, Muhlenberg rallied for three in the top of the seventh, on a two-run single by junior Lillie Teague and a sacrifice fly by junior Skyla Campisi, to take a 5-3 lead. 

The Bullets (20-19, 10-6), though, scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings. And after a sacrifice fly by freshman Sofia Gallahue gave the Mules a 6-5 edge in the top of the eighth, Gettysburg walked it off with two in the bottom of the inning, snapping Muhlenberg's 13-game winning streak.

The second game was another wild back-and-forth game, with darkness threatening to end it prematurely. Remarkably, the teams got the full seven innings in - and this time, they didn't need an eighth.

Muhlenberg took a 1-0 lead in the second, only to have Gettysburg go on top with three in the third. It was 4-2 with two outs in the top of the fifth before sophomore Hailey Godin delivered a two-run single to tie the game.

The Bullets plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth, leaving the Mules with only one inning to prevent a sweep and a return trip to the Battlefield next week.

Freshman Kineta Bradley got Muhlenberg off to a good start in the seventh with a leadoff triple. A bunt single by freshman Josie Hoffacker and a walk to sophomore Ava Storlazzi loaded the bases with one out. 

Gallahue blooped a hit into shallow left field to bring in one run, and on the next pitch, Godin singled between first and second to plate the tying and go-ahead runs.

Sophomore Abigail Kim (pictured above) needed only eight pitches to preserve the lead, retiring the side 1-2-3 and recording the final out after snagging a ground ball up the middle.

After Muhlenberg and Gettysburg play in the playoffs next week, both teams will head to Swarthmore for the remainder of the double-elimination tournament.