The Misericordia University softball team, one of the school's most successful programs, struggled through parts of its 2010 campaign. But things have come together for the red-hot Cougars, who will look to grab their first Freedom Conference title and a spot in the NCAA tournament when they compete in the conference championships this weekend at Delaware Valley.

After blowing a seventh-inning lead and getting swept by DeSales on April 18, a program that had never had a losing year was just 5-5 in the Freedom standings and 14-13 overall with several difficult opponents left on the schedule.

With their season in danger of slipping away from them, the Cougars rallied and are currently the hottest team in the league, having won nine of their final 10 games with the only loss coming to non-conference opponent York.

Misericordia's 9-1 finish is the best of any MAC school this year. Top Freedom seed DeSales is 8-2 over its past 10 contests, with five of those victories decided by a single run.

Senior pitcher Kat Lucenti is 8-0 since the DeSales series and leads the Freedom Conference in wins (17) and innings pitched (169.1).

Classmate Nicole Hoskins has also been on-fire from the plate, moving into fifth place in the conference in batting average (.381). Another senior, infielder Courtney Novajosky, is batting .358 on the season.

Five different Cougars have multiple home runs this year- Hoskins, Nicole Wenner and Hollie Sarnak (four each) and freshmen Caitlin Cromley and Nicole Boccia (two).

The Cougars finished in a three-way tie for second place at 9-5 with King's and Manhattanville. DeSales is 12-2 in league play.

The Freedom championship is a double-elimination tournament that will take place at host Delaware Valley on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. Winning the tournament will require three or four victories without losing more than once.

DeSales has a strong pitching staff, led by Jen Lococo (10-6, 3.40), Katie Morrisey (17 strikeouts in seven innings against MU earlier this year) and reliever Christine Petrilla (2.18 ERA). Petrilla's .365 batting average is second best on the Bulldogs, behind Kerri Andrews (.374).

Meaghan Galvin (.397, 21 RBIs) and Lindsey Hoerner (.387, 23 RBIs, 3 HRs) lead a potent King's offense, while Hoerner (13-8, 2.70 ERA, 125 K's) is also the Monarch's top option on the mound.

Manhattanville has another pitcher who can contribute from the plate in Alyssa Taylor (8-5 on the mound, .407 batting average). Samantha Howe is 9-9 with a 2.04 ERA.

The winner of the conference championship will receive an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament. The Cougars have made the NCAA tourney twice in their history. In 2005, MU defeated Cortland to earn the first NCAA victory by any Misericordia team.