The Misericordia University softball team ended the Freedom Conference regular season tied for first place after splitting a doubleheader at Manhattanville, Saturday.

Based on tiebreaking criteria, the Cougars earned the top seed in the Freedom playoffs.

After dropping the opener, 3-2 in 10 innings, the Cougars took the nightcap, 8-0.

Jillian Castaldi had two hits and an RBI in the opener and Lindsay Miller, Hollie Sarnak and Nicole Wenner all added two hits.

MU went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first when Sarnak singled and came around to score on a single by Nicole Hoskins.

The Cougars went ahead 2-1 in the eighth with another two-out rally. Gina Urbon singled and scored on Castaldi's double.

Katie Eiden tossed a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in the nightcap while Hoskins drove in three runs and Sarnak had three hits. Castaldi had two RBI and Wenner and Urbon both had two hits.

Misericordia jumped in front 3-0 in the first on an RBI-single by Wenner and a two-run double by Castaldi.

Hoskins made it 5-0 with a two-run homer in the fifth and the Cougars added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

MU is 22-12 and will host Arcadia in a non-league doubleheader, Sunday at 1:00. The Cougars will open the Freedom Conference against the Wilkes (#4)/King's (#5) winner, Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Wilkes.