Late Rally Lifts Immaculata Past Marywood
Marywood was eliminated from the CSAC playoffs by Immaculata, 3-2

Late Rally Lifts Immaculata Past Marywood

Softball - 5/6/2017 1:46:00 PM

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Scranton, Pa. - Immaculata University scored three unearned runs in their final at-bat to rally past Marywood and eliminate the Pacers from the CSAC softball playoffs Saturday afternoon.  The Mighty Macs later defeated Cabrini University 3-2 in the second elimination game of the afternoon to move into tomorrow's Championship tilt against Neumann (2-0).  

Marywood (19-16) will now await a possible ECAC playoff berth.  The field is set to be announced Monday evening with first round games to be played Wednesday.

Cabrini was also eliminated on the day after losses to Neumann (5-2) and Immaculata.  The Cavaliers end their season at 19-22.  

Marywood took a 1-0 lead on Immaculata in the third inning.  After a pair of strikeouts to start the inning, Sarah Hayes reached on a throwing error.  Another error while Kaitlyn Epler was at bat allowed Epler to reach and Hayes to move to third, and Heather Schultz would then get an RBI infield single to short to score Hayes.

The Pacers doubled their lead with what appeared to be an important insurance run in the sixth.  Alexa Scala doubled to left center after Brooke Labs walked with one out to give Marywood runners on second and third.  Kirstie Alvarez then drove Labs across the plate with a deep sacrifice fly out to right.  Scala also moved up one bag on the play but Immaculata stranded her on third by getting another fly out to end the inning.

Meghan Kugler started the Immaculata rally in the top of the seventh with a single up the middle.  A routine groundout to first moved Kugler up to second, and a single to center did not allow pinch runner Isabella Mirarchi to move to third, giving the Mighty Macs runners on first and second with just one out.  

Alvarez then fanned the next batter for an important second out.  Still with runners on first and second, Abigail Carter grounded to second but an errant throw to first allowed Mirarchi to come home and allowed the Mighty Macs' other pinch runner, Laura DiLucia, to move to third and Carter to move into scoring position at second.

Ashley Rey then came up big for the visitors, smacking a two-run single to right center to give Immaculata the tying and go-ahead runs and a 3-2 lead.

Hayes would single with two outs to put the tying run on for Marywood but an unassisted groundout to first ended the game and advanced the Mighty Macs, eliminating the top-seeded Pacers from Championship contention.

Rey and Emily Mesey each had two hits for the Mighty Macs, accounting for four of their seven in the game.  Rey picked up two RBI and Kugler one.  Scala had the only extra base hit of the game with her double, her 12th of the year.

Alvarez (9-7) suffered the loss despite not allowing an earned run.  She pitched all seven innings and struck out two.  Jessica Bormann (13-4) got the win, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out four in her complete-game effort.  

The Mighty Macs (25-15) will have to beat Neumann two times tomorrow to earn the CSAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, while the Knights will only have to win the 1:00 pm game.  A winner-take-all game nine would be played at 3:00 pm should Immaculata defeat Neumann in the 1:00 pm game.  Games have been moved to Aston and will be held at Neumann University due to inclement weather in Scranton.
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