Kristi Seiler hit her second game-winning homer of the day to put the Misericordia University softball team in the winner's bracket final of the Freedom Conference championships with a 6-5 win over Eastern, Friday.

After Jill Castaldi hit a two-run homer to tie game in the bottom of the fifth, Amanda Polaha doubled and Seiler put MU ahead with an opposite field blast.

Megan Hardy added a solo homer as the Cougars improved to 27-15.

Seiler added a huge defensive play in the top of seventh by making a diving stop of a line drive and turning a potential two-run double into a fielder's choice.

Eastern grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Cougars cut it in half in the bottom of the second when Kat LaBrie doubled and came home Jenn Cory's single.

After Eastern went ahead 4-2 in the top of the fourth, MU responded with Hardy's solo homer to left in the bottom of the frame.

Cory reached on an error to start the bottom of the fifth and Castaldi the game with a two-run homer to right center.

Polaha doubled to right and Seiler gave the Cougars their first lead with a two-out, two-run homer to right.

Jess Armillay went the distance while scattering nine hits to earn the win.

Misericordia will play in the championship game, Saturday at 1:00 against the survivor of Manhattanville/King's/Eastern.

In the opener, Kristi Seiler hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Misericordia University softball team to a 7-5 win over King's in the opening round of the Freedom Conference softball championships, Friday at Manhattanville.

After working out of a bases-loaded no out jam in the top of the seventh, the Cougars rallied for three runs in the bottom of the frame.

Amanda Polaha led off with a single and Caitlin Cromley walked to set the stage for Seiler.

Polaha and Jill Castaldi led Misericordia with two hits each.  Polaha and Nikki Boccia both homered.

Cromley scattered 11 hits while striking out six and allowing only two earned runs to pick up the win.

King's was led by Jenn Harnischefer's three hits and three RBI.

Brittny Baynes, Kayla Rutkoski and Rachel Zinni all added two hits.

King's, 29-12, will face top-seeded Manhattanville in an elimination game, Saturday morning.

Misericordia took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Polaha's solo homer to center field.

King's answered with three runs in the top of second on an RBI-single by Zinni and a two-run double by Harnischfeger.

MU cut it to 3-2 in the bottom of the third when Castaldi led off with a single and came home on Cromley's infield single.

King's made it 4-2 in the fourth when Siegfied doubled to right center and came home on Rebecca Taylor's single.

Boccia led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to get MU within 4-3.

The Monarchs added a run in the top of sixth on Harnischfeger's single to center and Misericordia responded with a run in the bottom half on Samantha Hare's single to right.