The Misericordia University baseball team is headed to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever after the Cougars defeated FDU-Florham 9-3, Monday at Quakertown's Memorial Stadium.

Junior Nate Hamlin (1-for-3, 2 runs) had the big hit of the day, with a three-RBI double. Junior Andrew Tressa was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while classmate Michael Impellittiere was 2-for-4 with a run.

A pair of freshmen, Ryan Cacchioli (2-for-5, run) and Joe Tagliarini (2-for-4, RBI), both had solid contributions for the Cougars as well.

Sophomore William Minderjahn earned the victory, while ace Patrick Clark threw four outstanding innings to close it out, striking out six.

Things came undone for the Devils in a fifth inning that featured five Cougar runs on three hits and two costly FDU-Florham errors.

Misericordia loaded the bases with just one gone in the fifth, after Impellittiere and Tressa singled and Nate Newman waited out a walk. Catcher Andres Gonzalez then knocked in a run and also reached safely after an error on the play.

With the bases still loaded, Hamlin cleared them with a double off the wall that FDU leftfielder Ryan Kalish almost managed to reel in, colliding with the wall in a valiant attempt to make the catch. Hamlin later scored on an error to make it 8-2, Misericordia.

Clark entered the game in the sixth inning and worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam, allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly to left.

After the leadoff man reached in the top of the eighth, Clark struck out the side to bring Misericordia to within three outs of the title.

Earlier, Cacchioli led off the bottom of the first by bouncing a single off the pitcher's mound. Impellittiere bunted him along and Tressa's gapper brought him in for the first tally of the championship game. On the next pitch, Tressa scored on Kenny Durling's single.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tagliarini came within inches of his first collegiate homer, putting a ball off the top of the left field wall and scoring Hamlin on the play. 3-1

The Devils had pulled one back in the top of the third, when Freedom RBI-leader Matt Oliveto knocked in Steve Seminerio. Seminerio would score again in the fifth on Nick Core's sacrifice fly to pull FDU-Florham to within one.

FDU starter Bobby Smith (2-2) took the loss after allowing four earned runs and striking out five in 4.2 innings of work. The Devils didn't manage one extra-base hit, although Seminerio was 2-for-3 with an RBI and also scored twice.

MU senior Nate Newman was the tournament MVP after hitting three homers and throwing a complete game shutout yesterday.

Misericordia improves to 27-14, while FDU-Florham is 22-14.

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