The Misericordia University baseball team beat DeSales, 8-4, in the MAC Freedom championships, Sunday evening to force a decisive game, Monday at 7:30 at Owls Field in West Lawn.

Garrett Pelko allowed just one run over seven innings and Jim Tunison got the final four outs to earn a save.

D.J. Navoczynski had three hits and three RBI and Chris Boroch added three hits.  Al Reda and Miles Westrich both had two hits.

The Cougars took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning.  Reda drew a one-out walk and moved to second on Boroch's single to center field.  After Kyle Lindsay reached on a fielder's choice, Kenny Jarema walked to load the bases and Navoczynski doubled to left center field to clear them.

Vinny Annunziata drew a one-out walk in the fourth and Miles Westrich and Reda singled to make it 4-0.  After a DeSales pitching change, Boroch singled to center and Lindsay lofted a sacrifice fly to center.  Jarema singled through the right side to put MU ahead, 6-0 and Navoczynski's infield single loaded the bases.

DeSales got a run in the sixth and three more in the eighth after an MU pitching change to cut the deficit to 6-4.  Jim Tunison came on with two outs and the bases loaded and gave up a two-run single before getting a strikeout to end the inning.

The Cougars responded with two runs in the top of the ninth.  Navoczynski led off with a double to left center and Mike Comerford hit an RBI-triple to the same spot.  Following a DeSales pitching change, Annunziata singled up the middle to give the Cougars an 8-4 lead.

Tunison allowed just a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win.