The Misericordia University softball team forced a decisive game seven with a 9-1 win over Lebanon Valley at the MAC Freedom Championships, Saturday.
 
Gabby Cruz allowed just one run in four innings for her third win of the tournament and Morgan Kelly worked the fifth to close out the game.
 
Gianna Russo had three hits and four RBI and Bridget Doherty had two  hits and two RBI.  Gianna Foreman had two hits, including a solo homer.
 
The Cougars grabbed an early lead and went on to score in four of the five innings.
 
Doherty reached on an error to start the game and Riley Nasso singled up the middle.  After a sacrifice bunt, Russo singled up the middle to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Casey Funesti was hit by a pitch and Emily Susanj reached on an infield single with Russo coming home on a throwing error.
 
Lebanon Valley got a run back in the bottom of the first and the Cougars responded with four runs in the top of the second.  Kaitlyn Slusser singled to center and scored on Doherty's single through the middle.  Nasso walked and Russo tripled to right center to drive in two more runs.  Mackenzie Fizer singled to left center to make it 7-1.
 
Fizer led off the third with a solo homer go extend the lead to 8-1.

Foreman led off the fifth with a single to center and pinch-runner Lilo Garrett later scored on Doherty's two-out single.