The Misericordia University softball team finished its season a lot sooner than they would have liked to in 2013. The Cougars are back in familiar territory as they return to the Freedom Conference Championships in 2014.
 
The Cougars travel to Delaware Valley College to open the championships against Manhattanville College Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.

Freedom Softball Championships Central
 
The Cougars made a quick turnaround from last season, wrapping up the regular season with an overall record of 23-13, including an 8-6 mark in the Freedom Conference and an impressive 15-1 record at Anderson Field.
 
Megan Hardy leads the Cougars at the plate with a team-high, .404 average, 46 hits, 12 homers, 38 RBI and a .807 slugging percentage. The junior catcher also broke the single season record for home runs with her conference-best 12^th blast of the season in a win over Keystone in the regular season finale.
 
Kristi Seiler isn't far behind as she finished the regular season hitting .381 with a team-high nine doubles while Sam Hare finished the season hitting .348 and Megan Gowe drove in 16 runs.
 
Schies was terrific in the circle in her freshman year. The right-hander finished the season 12-5 with a team-low 2.48 ERA in 18 starts, including seven complete games.
 
Alissa Steier led the team with two saves and pitched to a 3-1 record in 19 relief appearances while Jess Armillay finished the season 8-7 and tossed eight complete games.
 
Manhattanville enters the Freedom Conference Championships with an overall record of 24-8, including a 13-1 record in the Freedom Conference. The Valiants lone loss on the season came in game two of a doubleheader on April 6 at Misericordia.
 
The Cougars dropped the opening game 7-3 and snuck away with a 4-3 victory in the finale. Gowe led the Cougars going 2-3 at the plate and driving in a run while Seiler and Hare chipped in with doubles in the victory over the Valiants.
 
The Valiants are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the postseason, but are just 5-8 all-time in the Freedom Conference Tournament, including a 1-3 mark in the opening round.
 
Manhattanville leads the conference in the circle and at the plate with a .375 team batting average and 2.36 ERA. The Valiants outscored their opponents 119-31 in Freedom Conference play.
 
Alyssa Taylor leads the Valiants at the plate and in the circle with 22-6 record and a 2.06 ERA. She has also posted nine shutouts and held opponents to a .220 batting average. At the plate Taylor is tied with Hardy for a Freedom Conference best 12 home runs and enters the championships hitting .400.
 
Shelbee Damianos enters Friday's game with a conference-best .555 batting average and has driven in 38 runs while Kirsten Savage is second on the team with a .414 average.
 
The last time the Cougars and Valiants met in the Freedom Conference Championships was in the 2012 Freedom Conference Championship Game with the Cougars emerging with a convincing 9-1 win on the heels of a stellar pitching performance from Caitlin Cromley. Seiler and Hardy also had home runs in victory over the Valiants.
 
Since joining the Freedom Conference in 2009 the Cougars have reached the Freedom Conference Championships four times, including two appearances in the championship game and one championship.
 
With a win in Friday's opening round game the Cougars advance to play the winner of #2 King's/#3 FDU-Florham at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. With a loss the Cougars play the loser of the second game at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
 
Admission for the championships in Doylestown, PA is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors and $3.00 for students while a two-day pass for adults is $10.00, $8.00 for seniors and $5.00 for students.