Jeff Slanovec's long fly ball single completed a three-run ninth inning rally to lift the Misericordia University baseball team to a 5-4 win over Manhattanville to advance to the Freedom Conference championship game, Sunday afternoon in Quakertown.

Down 4-2, pinch-hitter Dylan Mazzo drew a lead-off walk and Will Minderjahn followed with a line drive opposite field, pinch-hit single to left.  Andrew Tressa laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases and Bubba Jasinski lined the first pitch he saw to right field to make it 4-3.

Kenny Durling blooped a single into short left field to tie and Slanovec hit a long single to right center as the Cougars improved to 34-8.

Manhattanville took a 4-2 lead in the top of the ninth when Bobby Guerra drilled a two-run homer to left field.  Kevin Brady led off the inning with a single to right center off the glove of a sliding Kenny Durling.

Slanovec led Misericordia with three hits while Bubba Jasinksi, Ryan Cacchioli and Nate Hamlin all added two hits.

Guerra and Johnny LoVetere had two hits each for the Valiants who finished 16-22.

Corey Lee pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up the win in relief of Gabe Noyalis who allowed seven hits over eight innings.

Pat Yannucci started for Manhattanville and scattered eight hits over 5.2 innings.  A.J. Marini worked 2.1 innings before giving way to Joe Palmeri who took the loss.

Misericordia got on the board in the fifth when Hamlin led off with a line drive single through the left side and moved to second on a walk to Chris Tuttle.  After a double steal, Joe Tagliarini hit a pop up to short center that dropped for an RBI-single with Tuttle out at third on the play.

After trying to bunt his first two times at bat, Slanovec lined a solo homer to left field to make it 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

The Valiants rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth.  Elias Tsouristakis drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Hans Arias' single inside the third base bag before Johnny LoVetere lined a single to right to load the bases.

After an infield pop out, Chris Nardozzi lined an 0-2 pitch the opposite way into left field to make it 2-1 and Sean Ferguson followed with an RBI-fielder's choice to tie it 2-2.

Noyalis worked out of a jam in the fourth after LoVetere beat out a bunt single and Nardozzi and Bucci walked to load the bases with two out.  Kevin Brady grounded to third for an inning-ending fielder's choice.

The Cougars threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Jasinski lined a single to right center and moved up on a wild pitch.  After a walk to Noyalis, Cacchioli lined a single to right, but Sean Ferguson threw a strike to nail Jasinski at home.

Manhattanville ends the year at 16-22.  Misericordia will play DeSales at 3:30.