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VIDEO OF MERKLE'S WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM

IMMACULATA, Pa. – Immaculata University softball split a Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon with Cabrini College as the Mighty Macs rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning in the nightcap to tie the game at 11-11, and Immaculata's Brittany Merkle hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth to lift the hosts to the 15-11 victory. Cabrini won the opener, 12-4, in five innings.  
 
Cabrini led 11-8 as Immaculata came to the plate in its final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh. The first three Mighty Macs to bat all singled and the third single produced one run to make the score 11-9. Now, with one out, Caitlin Brasier drove in two runs to tie the score at 11-11 with her single up the middle, but the next two hitters were not able to keep the inning alive.
 
In the eighth Cabrini got runners to second and third with two outs, but Immaculata avoided the Cavaliers scoring with a fly-ball out.
 
After a quick bottom half of the eighth and top of the ninth, Lauren Penn singled to lead-off the inning. Meghan Kugler advanced Penn to second with a bunt. Brasier then singled to get two runners on for the Mighty Macs, and another single by Christiana Donofry loaded the bases to set the stage for Merkle's game-winning heroics.
 
Merkle began the scoring for the Mighty Macs with a solo homer in the first inning, and finished the game going 3-for-5 with six RBIs. Donofry, Melissa Ejk, Annemarie Bartow, Kelsey Collevechio, Caitlyn Hudock, Penn and Brasier all had two hits each as the Mighty Macs had 18 hits in the game. Ejk, Collevechio and Brasier all drove in two runs.
 
Meghan Kugler started and tossed the first four innings allowing seven runs on 11 hits. Brasier came in and pitched the final five innings giving up four runs, two earned, and seven hits.
 
In game one, a seven-run second inning opened up the game for the Cavaliers and allowed them to take an 8-2 lead. Cabrini tacked on four more run in the third, and Immaculata posted single runs in the third and fourth innings.
 
Bartow and Collevechio each had two hits in the opener, and Collevechio drove in two runs.
 
Immaculata (3-11, 3-1 CSAC) is back in the field Monday heading to Marywood at 3 p.m.