IMMACULATA, Pa. - Immaculata University travels to Cabrini College Wednesday for the quarterfinals of the 2009 CSAC Softball Tournament. The Mighty Macs and Cavaliers will play one game in the single-elimination round beginning at 3 p.m.
Immaculata (15-17) is seeded fifth while Cabrini (16-18) earned the fourth seed and right to host. The Mighty Macs and Cavaliers finished the league slate with identical marks of 14-8, but Cabrini earned the four seed with its split against Centenary.
The Mighty Macs posted their most wins in a single season since 2002 (18) and the most wins within the league this decade (14). Immaculata last qualified for the postseason in 2003. Cabrini and Immaculata split their doubleheader during the regular season. The Cavaliers took game one at Immaculata 6-5, before the hosts rebounded for a 7-1 win on March 20.
Third-year head coach
Dolores Martino guided her charges to a 14-8 mark in CSAC play and a tie for fourth place in the league standings. Immaculata hadn't reached double figures in the conference win column since a sixth-place finish in 2003 (11-11).
Jackie Finkbohner brings a .394 batting average into the playoffs for the Mighty Macs, who are riding a three-game winning streak. Melissa Fetter holds a .385 average with a team-high 14 doubles and four triples. She has also been the most consistent hurler inside the circle. Fetter 9-7 with a 3.41 earned run. She has struck out 71 batters in 88.1 innings of work. She has three shutouts on the year.
In other CSAC quarterfinal action on Wednesday, third-seeded Marywood hosts sixth-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy.
A first-round win on Wednesday would propel Immaculata into the semifinals Saturday at Neumann against the Knights at 12 p.m., who earned a bye into the semifinals. Centenary awaits the winner of the Marywood vs. Gwynedd-Mercy quarterfinal.
The 2009 CSAC softball champion will be crowned on Sunday afternoon after the four semifinalists complete a double-elimination round.