The Misericordia University team salvaged a split at FDU-Florham to clinch a MAC Freedom post-season berth, Saturday.

After dropping the opener, 2-1, the Cougars rallied to take the nightcap, 10-9, in extra innings.

The Cougars were held to three hits in the opener, including a double by Amanda Butera and a triple by Brianna Holder.

Brooke Moyle was the tough-luck loser as she allowed just six hits while striking out seven.

The Cougars exploded for 17 hits in the nightcap, including six for extra bases.

Butera had four hits, including a double and a homer, Maddie Holub drove in three runs on a double and a homer.

Jessica McDonough had three hits and Kiersten Pflueger and Lori Brennan had two hits each.

Jordan Hoffman scattered nine hits over 10 innings to earn the complete game win.

In the opener, MU scored its only run of the game in the top of the first when Butera tripled and scored on Holder's RBI-grounder.

The score held until FDU plated a pair in the bottom of the fourth.

With a post-season berth on the line, the teams traded the lead throughout the nightcap with Misericordia taking the lead for good with two runs in the top of the 10^th.

Kayla Stephani started the inning on second base and took advantage of two wild pitches to give MU a 9-8 lead.  Butera followed with a solo homer for a much-needed insurance run.

The Devils got within a run and had the tying run on base in the bottom of the 10^th, but Hoffman got and a ground out and a strikeout to end the game.

Butera gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the first when she singled, stole second and scored on Plueger's two-out double to left center.

FDU tied it in the half of the first and the Cougars went back in front with two runs in the top of the third.  DeLong singled up the middle and scored on Brianna Holder's two-out homer for a 3-1 lead.

After, the Devils got one in the fourth and for in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead, the Cougars answered with four in the top of the sixth.

McDonough reached on an error and went to third on Brennan's single to right center.  Erin Heslin drove in a run with a pinch-hit infield single and Holub followed with a three-run homer to right field for a 7-6 lead.

The Cougars added an insurance run in the seventh on consecutive singles by Pflueger, McDonough and Brennan, but the Devils answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.

Misericordia improved to 20-16 and finished 9-5 and tied for second in the MAC Freedom.

The Cougars will host Lycoming, Sunday, and will face DeSales in the first round of the MAC Freedom championships, Friday at King's.