The Misericordia University softball team clinched the top seed in the MAC Freedom Tournament with a split at DeSales, Thursday.
 
The Cougars took the opener, 8-0, in five innings and dropped the nightcap, 8-6, to finish 12-4 in league play.
 
In game one, Kaitlin Redling hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Gianna Foreman hit a two-run homer in the fifth.
 
Nicole Elliott had two hits, including a solo homer, and Gianna Russo had two hits, including a double.
 
Marisa Kelly struck out three and allowed just three hits to earn the win.
 
The Cougars fell behind 7-1 in the nightcap and their late rally came up just short.
 
Elliott had three hits and Bridget Doherty, Alexa McHugh, Redling, Russo and Casey Funesti all had two hits.
 
In the opener, the Cougars took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
 
Doherty led off with a single to center and Elliott singled with one-out before Redling's opposite-field homer gave MU a 3-0 lead.  Foreman walked and went to third on Russo's double to left center.  Emma Griffin followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
 
MU added a run in the fourth and put the game away with a three-run fifth.  Russo opened the fourth with a single to right field and eventually scored on Elizabeth Kelly's single through the left side.
 
Elliott and Foreman sandwiched homers around a walk to Redling for the final margin.
 
Down 7-1 after two innings in the nightcap, the Cougars got two back in the third on Funesti's two-out, two-run double to right field.
 
Foreman drew a pinch-hit walk with out in the sixth and five straight singles produced three runs to get within 8-6.