Pacers Sweep Immaculata, Head to Playoffs for First Time in 12 Years
Mallory Gable fired a one-hitter Saturday as Marywood swept Immaculata and clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 12 years

Pacers Sweep Immaculata, Head to Playoffs for First Time in 12 Years

- 4/26/2008 4:39:51 PM

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

Scranton, PA - Marywood University will head to the PAC playoffs for the first time in 12 years in softball as the Pacers swept host Immaculata University 5-3 and 5-1 Saturday afternoon in Immaculata, PA.  Marywood, who hasn't been to softball post-season play since they won the PAC Championship in 1995, got solid pitching performances from juniors Nikki Belles and Mallory Gable to improve to 20-18 (10-10 PAC) on the year.  Immaculata fell to 4-20 (4-16 PAC) with the losses. 

In the opener, Miranda Sorber (Hunlock Creek, PA) ripped a two-run double in the second inning to give the Pacers an early lead.  The Pacers would go up 4-0 in the top of the fourth, but Immaculata made the game interesting again, responding with three over the next two innings to make it 4-3.  Marywood got a little breathing room in the top of the seventh when Caitlin Hadzimichalis (Harmony, NJ) ripped an RBI double to score Colleen Regan (Endwell, NY) and provide the final margin.

Belles (Rome, PA) improved to 9-2 on the year on the mound after a complete-game, seven-inning effort.  The junior hurler struck out two and scattered eight hits while allowing just two earned runs.

In the nightcap, needing a win to assure themselves of the playoff bid, Gable (Hughestown, PA) fired a complete-game one-hitter as the Pacers took the 5-1 win.  Gable struck out two and improved to 6-9 on the year with the win.  Offensively, Marywood was led by Megan Haikes (Scranton, PA) and Erika Cook (Wyalusing, PA).  Both Haikes and Cook went 3-4 at the plate with Haikes belting in two RBI and Cook one.  Cook had two doubles and a triple in the nightcap while Haikes had a homer and a two-bagger of her own.  Brittany Davis (Scranton, PA) also homered for the Pacers in the nightcap.

Marywood will tune up for the PAC playoffs with a non-conference tilt against PSU-Hazleton Monday afternoon at 4:00 pm.  Marywood claimed the sixth-seed and will head to third-seeded Alvernia College (16-4) next Wednesday for the first-round of playoffs.  The Pacers and Crusaders split their regular season doubleheader in Scranton with Marywood winning the opener 5-4 in eight innings and Alvernia taking the nightcap, 7-2.
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