The Misericordia University softball team will open the MAC Freedom Championships, Thursday at Lebanon Valley University.
 
The Cougars, 22-12, are second seed in the four-team, double-elimination tournament.
 
Misericordia will face third-seeded DeSales, Thursday at 1:00.  The winner will advance to the winner's bracket final while the loser will play an elimination game, Friday afternoon.  FDU Florham plays top-seeded Lebanon Valley in the other first-round game, Thursday at 3:30. 
 
MU swept DeSales and FDU-Florham during the regular season and split at Lebanon Valley.  Misericordia is the defending MAC Freedom champion while Lebanon Valley finished second in the MAC Commonwealth in each of the last two seasons.

The Cougars led the league with 423 total bases, 205 runs, 185 RBI, 118 walks, 72 doubles, 16 home runs, 13 doubles and a .458 slugging % and .393 on-base %.

Defensively, Misericordia led the league with 13 double plays and had a league-best .967 fielding % while committing a league-low 31 errors.

Nikki Elliott led the league with .742 slugging %, 33 RBI, 16 doubles and five home runs and was second with 31 runs scored.

Kaitlin Redling led the league with .548 on-base % and 27 walks.  She was second in slugging at .543 and fifth in batting at .405.

Casey Funesti is third in the league in slugging % (.603) and on-base % (.477) and is fourth in batting (.414).

Bridget Doherty led the league with 34 runs and was second with five triples.

On the mound, Marisa Kelly was 7-1 and was fifth in the league with a 1.80 earned run average.