FDU-Florham outlasted Mother Nature and Misericordia University to advance to the championship game of the Freedom Conference baseball tournament with a 7-5 win, Saturday night at Memorial Park in Quakertown.

The Devils built a 7-1 lead and held off a Misericordia rally and survived a three-hour rain delay to improve to 22-12.

Nate Newman had two hits and three RBI for the Cougars, including a solo homer.

Kenny Durling and Nate Hamlin also drove in runs for Misericordia. The Cougars, 24-14, will face DeSales in an elimination game, Sunday at noon.

The winner will face FDU-Florham at 3:00.

FDU-Florham grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Ryan Kalish lined an 0-2 pitch to right field for a one-out single and moved to second when Joe Meglio was hit by a pitch.

Kalish came around to score when John Pieper reached on a fielder's choice, but Meglio was thrown at third when he tried to advance on the overthrow.

The Cougars knotted the score in the bottom of the third when Chris Tuttle drew a lead-off walk and moved up on Joe Tagliarini's sacrifice. One out later, Nate Hamlin lined single to left field to plate Tuttle.

FDU-Florham took advantage of four hit batters to take a 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Ryan Fandel walked and Kalish was hit by a pitch before Meglio reached on fielder's choice to load the bases.

Pieper's bloop single to center scored two runs and Steve Semenerio was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases.

After Ron Guido replaced Mike Pena on the mound, Brandon Adams forced in a run on another hit by pitch and Matt Oliveto drove in another on a sacrifice fly.

Nate Newman led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer to right center to get the Cougars within 5-2.

The Devils left the bases loaded in the seventh, but Matt Joiner's two-out, two-run single in the eighth made it 7-2.

The Cougars answered with three in their half off the eighth to make it 7-5. Joe Tagliarini and Nate Hamlin walked before Durling battled back from an 0-2 count to rip an RBI-single down the left field line.
Nate Newman followed with a two-run double off the center field wall.

Brandon Smith limited the Cougars to three hits over seven innings to earn the win with Chris Laudati working a perfect ninth for the save.