Release courtesy of Muhlenberg Athletic Communications

Thunder may be loud and warn of impending damage, but over time a steady flow of water can be much more damaging. 

Using its "death by a thousand cuts" attack to perfection, the Muhlenberg softball team scored seven runs in the final two innings to come from behind and topple defending national champion Trine, 8-2 in the first game of the NCAA Division III super regional.

The Mules (36-11) need to win one of a potential two games on Friday to take the series and earn a spot in the eight-team championship, scheduled for May 28 - June 3 in Salem, Virginia. 

Playing against a Thunder squad that has hit a Division III-leading 68 home runs this season, 68 more than they have, the Mules banged out 15 hits - all singles - to defeat a pitcher who came in with a 14-0 record on the season.

Backing the persistent offense was the tremendous pitching of freshman Eden Clark, who tossed a complete-game four-hitter and allowed only one earned run for her 16th win of the season. 

Clark gave up two runs in the first inning but in the final six frames blanked fourth-ranked Trine, which came in hitting .387 and averaging 9.49 runs per game, facing only three batters over the minimum and never allowing a runner past first base. 

Muhlenberg plated a run in the top of the first, but its bats were similarly quiet until the sixth, when freshman Sofia Gallahue and sophomore Hailey Godin led off with singles. After Gallahue beat the throw to third on a ground ball to the left side, loading the bases, senior Scooter Hulsen singled up the middle on the first pitch to put the Mules ahead for good. 

The two RBI gave Hulsen three in the game and 100 for her career.

The rally was temporarily derailed when junior Lillie Teague appeared to score from third on a ball in the dirt but was called out for leaving early. The singles kept coming, though.

Freshman Izzy Wilmot singled and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Freshman Kineta Bradley then followed with an at-bat that typified the Mules' tenacious approach, fouling off six two-strike pitches before singling to left to knock in Hulsen and make it 4-2.

Junior Peri Kahn brought in the fourth run of the inning with a squeeze bunt and had an even more epic at-bat in the seventh inning. 

Wilmot (pictured above, scoring in the sixth) had already singled in a run when Kahn stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. She fell behind 1-2, fouled off four straight pitches, took a ball, fouled off another pitch, took another ball to run the count full, then fouled off three more pitches before ending the 14-pitch duel with a two-run single that served as the knockout punch. 

Muhlenberg is the first Centennial Conference team to win a game in a super regional since Haverford in 2016. 

The Mules have never been in this position before, but the Thunder has: In the regional round last weekend, Trine dropped its second game and came back not just in the series, but in two games, to advance to the supers. The Thunder overcame a 6-2 deficit to defeat Rochester and a 5-0 hole to top Loras in the first of two regional championship games. 

Muhlenberg will try to use its dogged approach to finally unseat the reigning champs on the second day of the super regional.