The Misericordia baseball team split with DeSales, an 8-0 win and a 5-4 loss, to take over the top spot in the Freedom Conference, Saturday in Center Valley.

Matt Karabin pitched a five-hit complete game to earn the win in game one and Ryan Cacchioli went 4-4 with two RBI and two runs.

In the top of the second inning, Jeff Slanovec singled and advanced to second on an error.  Cacchioli singled up the middle to drive Slanovec home and take an early 1-0 lead after two.

In the ensuing inning, with Gabe Noyalis on first, Slanovec doubled to center field and moved Noyalis to third and Nate Hamlin doubled to left center to scorethem both.  Cacchioli then hit a third double in the inning to score Hamlin and take a 4-0 lead after three innings of play.

In the bottom of the fifth, Cacchioli hit his second double and Chris Tuttle singled through the right side of the infield to score Cacchioli and go up by five after five.

In the sixth, Andrew Tressa scored on an error after a stolen base.  The Cougars added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an error and a Bubba Jasinski single.

In the second game, the Bulldogs scored four runs through five innings, and MU was held scoreless until the top of the fifth.  With a walk and a Tressa double, Durling doubled through the left side to score them both and Slanovec singled through the right side to score Durling.  The Bulldogs forced a groundball to end the inning and take the nightcap.

The Cougars are now 26-5 (12-3) and will host Keystone on Wednesday.