MEDFORD, Mass. – The Cabrini University softball team fell to Moravian University 8-4 in its first game of the 2023 NCAA Division III softball championship Thursday afternoon at Tufts University's Spicer Field. 
 
The Cavaliers came out swinging Thursday as Madison Gugel put Cabrini on top 2-0 in the top of the first with a two-run double to plate Ariana Mirenda and Abby Tobelmann. Gugel scored two batters later after back-to-back sacrifice bunts from Avery Byrnes and Sydney Andrews to make it a 3-0 Cavs advantage. In the bottom half, Byrnes worked out of trouble as she recorded back-to-back strikeouts with runners on second and third to keep the Greyhounds off the board. 
 
In the bottom of the third, the first three batters all reached for Moravian and one pitch led to four runs for the Greyhounds as Marcie Silberman hit a grand slam to left to put Moravian on top 4-3. The Greyhounds tacked on one more before the end of the inning and took a 5-3 lead after three innings. 
 
The Cavs cut it to a 5-4 deficit in the fourth as Kaitlyn Delaney scored on a Moravian miscue, but one run was the closest Cabrini would come as the Greyhounds added two runs in the home half of the fourth and one run in the fifth to take an 8-4 lead and down Cabrini by the same score. 
 
Mirenda and Emma Barbera each tallied two hits on the day while Gugel's two-run double was Cabrini's lone extra-base hit of the afternoon.
 
The Cavaliers are set to play in Game 4 of the regional against the loser of Tufts and Husson on Friday, May 19. First pitch of Game 4 is set for 1 :30 p.m.