Softball

FREEDOM CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Delaware Valley College 2, DeSales University 1
Conference Championship All Comes Down To Final Game

EDWARDSVILLE (PA) - Delaware Valley's College amazing run continued in the Freedom Conference Championships as the Aggies forced a seventh and final game of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over top-seeded DeSales University.

The two teams will meet again at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday with the winner capturing the conference title and the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championships that go along with it. No Delaware Valley women's team has ever reached the national championships and the Aggie softball team is just seven innings away the dream.

The senior pitching duo of Kirstyn Ruhling and Jennifer Bummer combined again for the win. This time, Ruhling (9-9) started and went five-plus innings allowing one run and five hits while striking out four. Bummer came out of the bullpen in the sixth after DeSales (26-13) pulled to within one and had runners on first and second with two outs. Bummer got Kate Steiner to pop out to third to end the threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jen Lococo singled to lead off the stanza for the Bulldogs. However, Bummer got a strikeout and a fielder's choice out at second. Maddie Roxandich then lofted a fly ball to deep right field, but Bethany Pavlik caught it against the fence to force a final game. It was also the 18th win of the year for the Aggies (18-18) as they set a new program standard in that category.

Delaware Valley (18-18) took a 1-0 lead in the third as Kim Harle had a one single and moved to second on a ground out. Pavlik then singled to center field and Harle raced home for the advantage.

The Aggies added to the lead in the fifth as Robyn Jackson led off with a double down the right field line. However, Jackson was forced out on a fielder's choice as Harle reached first. Harle moved to second on a ground out and Pavlik came through with a two-out hit again, this time a double to left center.

DeSales picked it up its lone run in the sixth on an RBI single by Amanda Kensecki. However, Bummer shut the Bulldogs down from there. Kensecki was the lone DeSales player to have a multiple-hit game as she went 2-for-3. Pavlik was 2-for-3 for the Aggies while Harle went 2-for-4.