Baseball Men’s golf, men’s tennis

Softball clinches playoff berth

Van Waalwijk is 10-for-20 in the last seven games, more than doubling her batting average from .167 to .342.

From last to first in: The Muhlenberg softball team continued its remarkable turnaround by beating Haverford, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader to clinch its first Centennial Conference playoff berth since 2004.

The Mules (17-12, 11-3), who tied for last place last year, are the first team to secure a playoff spot in 2009. They are in a virtual tie for first place in the CC with Ursinus (10-2), a game ahead of Haverford.

Muhlenberg hosts Ursinus next Saturday in a doubleheader that will determine hosting right for the CC playoffs. Ursinus also has to play at Dickinson this week, while Haverford closes out with two at Swarthmore on Saturday.

The Fords (17-11, 10-4) jumped on the Mules with five runs in the first inning of the opener and cruised to an 8-0 win in a game shortened to five innings by the eight-run rule.

But Muhlenberg bounced back, thanks to the superb pitching of sophomore Alyssa Bruckner, who outdueled the reigning CC pitcher of the week in pitching her second shutout in as many days. Bruckner scattered seven singles in handing the Fords their first shutout loss in a CC game this year. She struck out two and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth

The Mules got both of their runs in the first on doubles by sophomore Ashley Brewer and freshman Maggie Scarpelli. Brewer went 3-for-4 in the game, raising her season average to .435, and junior Jenna Van Waalwijk also had three hits.
Click here for line scores.
Click for complete stats: Game 1 | Game 2