The 2026 softball team set itself apart from every other team in the athletic history of Muhlenberg College by defeating Gettysburg, 3-0, in the Centennial Conference playoffs.
The Mules (32-9) had been tied with the 2013 softball team (31-9-1) for the most wins in a season and pulled into sole possession of first place with a shutout in the first on-campus softball playoff game in program history.
Muhlenberg advances to face top-seeded Swarthmore, an 8-0 winner against Haverford, in the middle game of three on Saturday at Swarthmore. Haverford and Gettysburg will play in an elimination game at 11:00, and the winner of that game will face the loser of the Muhlenberg-Swarthmore game in the third game of the day.
Freshman
Eden Clark made some history of her own, becoming the first Mule freshman to pitch a complete-game shutout in a postseason game. Clark allowed only four hits and struck out six for her fourth shutout of the season, and it came against a Bullet squad that had touched her up for eight runs and 13 hits in 4.2 innings just six days prior.
After allowing a double to the leadoff batter, Clark retired the next nine in a row. She recorded a strikeout and a flyout with runners on second to third to end the fourth inning and did not allow a runner past first base for the rest of the game.
The Mule offense was prolific everywhere except on the scoreboard, recording 14 hits in six turns at bat but leaving 11 runners on base.
Muhlenberg finally broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI single by freshman
Sofia Gallahue and tacked on two runs in the fifth on three straight hits - an infield single by senior
Scooter Hulsen, a single up the middle by freshman
Izzy Wilmot, and a double down the line by freshman
Kineta Bradley.
Hulsen
(pictured above) went 3-for-4 and stole a pair of bases, while Gallahue had a pair of hits in her first postseason game and also recorded the final out of the game with a catch in right field.
Freshman
Josie Hoffacker, the CC leader in on-base percentage, reached base in all three of her appearances, with two singles and a walk, and junior
Peri Kahn also had a pair of hits.
