Scranton, Pa. — Marywood University was crowned the 2022 ECAC Division III Softball champions following a two-game sweep of Baruch College in the Championship Series played Thursday afternoon.  
 
Marywood bounced-back from falling in the Atlantic East Conference Championship by posting two convincing wins over Baruch. The Pacers outscored the Bearcats 17-2 in the two games, putting an exclamation point on the championship with a 10-1 win in five innings in Game 2.
 
The Pacers never trailed in the two-game series, scoring one run in both first innings to set the tone early, then finishing off the Bearcats with big-scoring innings later in each game.

Brooke McKay was selected the ECAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. McKay finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs, including a double, sacrifice fly, walk and two runs. 

It marks the Pacers' second ECAC championship in Marywood athletics history. The Pacers previously won an ECAC title in women's soccer in 2010. 

Marywood set a program record with its 28th victory of the season. 
 
Marywood 7, Baruch 1
 
The first two and a half innings of the opening game moved rather quickly as both pitchers were controlling the lineup as they faced them the first time through. But in the bottom of the third inning, Marywood was able to strike.

McKay batted 1 for 3 with three RBIs. Jessica Hanley was 2 for 2 with two runs scored. 

Mara Hamm pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts in seven strong. She allowed four hits and zero unearned runs. 
 
A leadoff single by Jessica Hanley set the table for the Pacers to manufacture offense. She was moved along on a sacrifice bunt by Kristie Epler and then aggressively took third base on a groundout by Emily Rose. That move proved to be very important as Hanley scored on a wild pitch before the inning ended on a groundout.  
 
Baruch answered with a run of their own in the top of the fourth, but they left a larger inning on the table, stranding a runner on second after a double play ended the inning. Megan Bell hit a shot to the outfield that was misplayed by the Marywood centerfielder. The error left Bell, the tying run, standing on third base to lead off the inning. Julia Cuttone reached on a bunt single and advanced to second without a play in a heads-up baserunning play to eliminate the force at second. Carly Quint, Baruch's starting pitcher, provided some run support for herself by driving in Bell with a single and then stealing second to keep the pressure on Marywood.
 
But from there, Marywood pitcher Mara Hamm buckled down and worked out of the jam. She forced a pop up to second base by the next hitter and then watched as her defense made a heads-up play to double-off Cuttone on a foul pop-up to end the inning with only one Baruch run scored.
 
The double play may have swung the momentum back in favor of the home team, but it took Marywood until the fifth inning to capitalize on it and break the 1-1 tie. The Pacers started off the inning with each of the first six hitters reaching base before an out was recorded. Hamm led off the inning with a walk, then later scored on the second of consecutive singles to make it 2-1. The inning continued with a second walk that loaded the bases and followed by another pair of RBI singles, one by Brooke McKay and the other Nina Kozar that turned the 2-1 lead into a 5-1 advantage for Marywood heading into the sixth inning.
 
The Pacers added another two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pad their lead further. Hamm drew another lead-off walk and then moved around to third base after a sacrifice bunt and passed ball. She was driven in by Gianna Marsico, who doubled to put herself in scoring position. Marsico was later brought in on a McKay sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 7-1.
 
Hamm capped off her gem of a game in the pitching circle with a strikeout of the final batter, her ninth of the game. She allowed one unearned run on four hits while striking out nine in the Game 1 victory.
 
Marywood 10, Baruch 1 (F/5)
 
Marywood received a similarly dominant performance in the pitching circle from Gianna Marsico in Game 2 to close out the 2022 ECAC Softball Championship. Marsico allowed just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out three in five innings pitched.

Julianna Beidler went 1 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs. McKay scored twice. 
 
The Pacer offense scored early and often, putting Baruch on its heels before the game was truly even underway. Marywood scored once in the top of the first inning and plated another pair of runs in the third inning to make it 4-0. The first inning run was scored on a bobbled catch by the centerfielder in what should have been a sacrifice fly hit by McKay. The third inning runs were scored on a pair of RBI singles. Heyen singled to left field to bring in two runs, then came around to score on a single by Hanley, making it a 4-0 game.
 
Baruch got a two-out, RBI triple by Bell to make it 4-1 in the bottom of the third, but it was the offensive outburst by Marywood in the top of the fourth that all but brought an end to this game and the championship.
 
Marywood loaded the bases with just one out, prompting a pitching change for Baruch. The next batter, Beidler, singled up the middle to drive in two runs, and then moved into scoring position herself on the throw home. A groundout gave Baruch to get out of the inning with only those two runs scored, but a throwing error by their shortstop allowed two more runs to score and continue the inning. Marywood made the Bearcats pay for that error as Sarah Sharp hit a double to right-center to drive in Epler and make it 10-1.
 
Marsico set down Baruch in order in the bottom of the fourth and the bottom of the fifth to end the game and seal the Marywood championship.