RADNOR, Pa. - For the second straight year, the Cabrini softball team has earned a spot in the Colonial States Athletic Conference Championship.  The Cavaliers will open CSAC Championship Day One with a 10 a.m. tilt against Gwynedd Mercy at Neumann University in Aston, Pa.

Cabrini, the tournament's number two seed, joined the host and top seed Neumann with first round byes, while number four seed Immaculata and the sixth seeded Griffins earned their spots via first round tournament victories. 

While Cabrini and Gwynedd Mercy will open the day's play, Neumann and Immaculata will take the field for game two at Noon.  The losers of the first two games will meet at 2 p.m., with the loser to be eliminated from the tournament.  The winners from games one and two will meet at 4 p.m.  With the double elimination format, three teams will advance to Saturday's action.  

In last year's postseason tournament, the Cavaliers made a surprise run to the championship game, ultimately falling to Marywood 3-2 in seven innings in the title game.

Cabrini swept Gwynedd Mercy in both of its regular season meetings this season, scoring a 6-0 win on April 7, before topping the Griffins 6-5 on April 15, in a game that was originally slated for April 7 before rain forced it to be suspended.

Senior Steph Diegel hit a three run home run in the first inning of game one, while sophomore Amber Dietrich went 2-3 with a double and a pair of RBI. Junior Kaitlyn Cooper paired two base hits with two runs scored. Sophomore pitcher Kiley Sharp earned the win in the circle. Sharp was exactly that, after striking out five Griffins on her way to a complete game victory.

The Blue and White squandered a 4-1 lead in the nightcap, as the Griffins cut the lead to 4-3 before the rains came.  Freshman pitcher Jess Giordano suppressed a late rally by the Griffins to secure the victory. Diegel's sixth inning RBI single gave the Cavaliers the winning margin, while Dietrich led Cabrini with two of its nine base hits in the win.

The Blue and White closed the regular season on Tuesday with a split at Widener, ending its regular season 25-9 overall . The Cavaliers fell 9-3 in game one before earning a 7-1 win in game two. 

The Pride held the Cavaliers to a just three hits in the loss. Despite a slow afternoon for the Blue and White, sophomore Lindsay Savar stepped up in a big way, launching a three run home run in the fourth, her sixth home run of the year.

The offense awoke in the nightcap, notching six runs on 10 hits. Giordano made her presence known both at the plate and in the circle.  The rookie provided all the the club needed with a three run home run in the second inning and tossed a complete game, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts.

The Cavaliers boast one of the nation's top offenses, as its 7.69 runs per game rank 11th in the country, while the team batting average of .371 ranks 15th.  Deigel leads the way with a .430 batting average, seventh in the CSAC, while her 40 RBI lead the league and seven home runs rank second.  Dietrich's .422 batting average is second on the team and ninth in the league.

Cooper has been an offensive leader for the Blue and White, as the junior ranks second in the conference with 37 RBI, while her 43 hits, 14 doubles, 38 runs scored and five home runs also rank among the league leaders.  Savar is getting hot at the right time, tallying four home runs in the last nine games, bringing her total to six on the year, good for third in the conference.

Giordano and fellow freshman Kaitlyn Hohman have been more than solid in the circle for the Blue and White.  Giordano sports a 8-3 record with a team high 43 strikeouts and a 3.61 ERA. Hohman holds a 9-1 record and an ERA of 4.22  with 38 strikeouts in 74.2 innings pitched. Not to be outdone, Sharp ranks third in the country, allowing just 0.49 walks per seven innings.

Gwynedd Mercy advanced to Championship Day One with a 14-8 win at number three seed Centenary, a victory that improved the Griffins to 18-15 on the year. The Griffins seized control of the game in the early innings, scoring 10 runs in the first and second innings.  

Junior Megan Kelly went 3-4 and led the Griffins offense with five RBI, while freshman Jessica Behr went 1-4 grand slam home run in the first. Senior Jennifer Whalen recorded a 4-5 day at the plate and earned the win after throwing seven innings, allowing eight runs and striking out three batters.

Junior MaryKate Ballerino leads the Griffins with a .405 batting average, 45 hits, 29 runs and 27 RBI, while her seven triples are good for 10th in the country.  Whalen has been a team leader on both sides of the dish, as her .361 batting average in second on the club.  The senior is also the team's top hurler, sporting a 13-8 mark with a 4.11 ERA and 7 strikeouts. 

After seeing its string of eight consecutive championship game appearances snapped last year, Neumann returns to the tournament with a 27- overall mark.  The Cavaliers gave the Knights their only conference loss, after falling 3-0 in game one, the Blue and White answered with a 3-2 win in game two.

Junior Lauren Wilkie picked up the win in the opener, after striking out three Cavaliers and scattering just six hits in the shutout. Junior Danielle Grayson went 2-2, including a two run home run in the fifth to seal the win.

In game two, the Knights led 2-1 in the third but Savar launched a two run home run in the fourth to give the Cavaliers the lead. Hohman pitched a complete game for her fifth win on the season, striking out four Knights and surrendering just two runs on nine hits.

The Knights pair a strong offense with one of the nation's top pitching staffs, as Neumann hits .367, 18th in Division III, while boasting a 1.59 ERA, 11th in the country.  Five Knights hit over .400, led by 2015 CSAC Player of the Year Allie White.  The senior leads the club with a .443 bating average, 51 hits and 47 runs.  Marissa Giordano pairs a .432 batting average with a team high 18 stolen bases.

CSAC Pitcher of the Year Haley Broomell has been lights out for the Knights in the circle. The sophomore holds a league low 1.21 ERA, while Wilkie and senior Kristin Beaty rank second and third, respectively. Broomell also leads the conference in 92 strikeouts and a .170 opponent's batting average.

Immaculata improved to 17-18 and advanced to Friday's action after scoring a 5-4 win over the defending champions and No. 5 seeded Marywood.

The Cavaliers split their doubleheader with the Mighty Macs on April 1, earning a 12-4 game one victory, before falling 15-11 in extra innings in game two.

The Blue and White took control of the game with seven runs in the second inning of game one, while Cooper added a grand slam in the third. The junior finished 2-3 at the plate and tallied five RBI in the win.

Immaculata rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force  extra innings in the nightcap before senior Brittany Merkle's walk-off grand slam in the ninth iced the win.

Freshman Annemarie Bartow earned CSAC Rookie of the Year honors after leading the Mighty Macs in seven statistical categories.  The rookie sports a .509 batting average with 41 runs and 36 RBI, while her nine home runs and 54 hits lead the CSAC.  Senior Christiana Donofry holds a batting average of .358 and ranks second on the team with 31 runs scored and 43 hits.

Freshman Caitlin Brasier has earned 10 of the Mighty Macs 17 wins on the year, recording 42 strikeouts and a 4.81 ERA.  Sophomore Meghan Kugler leads the club with a 4.31 ERA and 48 strikeouts.