The Misericordia University softball team benefitted from great pitching and a walk-off home run to sweep Eastern in its Freedom Conference opener, 1-0 and 2-1 on Saturday.

Junior Jill Castaldi (1-for-3) won the first game in dramatic fashion, launching a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to break a scoreless tie.

Sophomore Caitlin Cromley (7 IP, 1 hit, 0 walks) was outstanding on the mound, with only a first-inning double denying her the perfect game.

In the bottom of the second, Nicole Boccia doubled to the right-center wall but MU couldn't advance her. Nicole Wenner led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, and eventually reached third but didn't score.

Misericordia made several good defensive plays to keep the shutout safe. Cromley made a nice stab on a hard grounder to the mound in the third, and Amanda Polaha held a liner for the second out of the sixth inning.

The Cougars totaled just three hits in game two but still won thanks to a solid outing from freshman Jess Armillay (7 IP, 5 hits, 1 run).

With one out and runners on the corners in the second inning, Wenner did a great job to look the runner back to third and throw to first for the second out. A walk loaded the bases, but MU escaped with a groundout to second.

Armillay helped her own cause by rounding home in the bottom of third. After walking and advancing on a passed ball, she scored on Maria Kidron's double to put the Cougars head.

Freshman Shawnna Beil scored on an error to make it 2-0 in bottom of the fourth. Eastern scored once in the seventh but a ground out ended the inning and completed the Misericordia sweep.

MU improves to 5-5 overall and is 2-0 in Freedom play. The Cougars travel to Albright tomorrow for another doubleheader.