PITTSFORD, N.Y.- The Immaculata softball team (28-15) went into their first NCAA Regional appearance in program history on Saturday afternoon against No. 6 St. John Fisher, and the Cardinals (31-7) rode the efforts of their record-setting pitcher Lindsey Thayer to defeat the Mighty Macs, 4-0.
 
The Macs will now play Mount St. Mary's (N.Y.) at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game on Saturday, and with a win, they would advance to play the loser of St. John Fisher and SUNY Geneseo.
 
Sophomore Abigail Carter had the only two hits on the day for the Mighty Macs and junior Jessica Bormann allowed just one earned run in a complete game effort.
 
Thayer set the NCAA Division III record for strikeouts in a career by punching out 18 Mighty Macs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Carter got an infield single in the first inning with one out, but the Mighty Macs went down on strikes for the final two outs of the inning
-In the bottom of the first, the Cardinals got a leadoff single, but sophomore Emily Mesey threw her out stealing, and though St. John Fisher loaded the bases on two hits and an error, Bormann escaped without further trouble
-The Macs went down in order in the second, and the Cardinals grabbed the lead with a trio of unearned runs
-Bormann retired two of the first three hitters, with one reaching by error, but the Cardinals put two on with two out after another single.  A double into left-center scored one, and a single by the next hitter scored two more to put the Cardinals up 3-0
-The pitchers then took over as Thayer retired the Macs in order in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, and Bormann settled in
-Bormann worked around a single in the third and retired the side in order in the fourth, but the Cardinals added another in the fifth with a two-out RBI double to left field
-The Macs best chance came in the seventh as Carter singled to shortstop, and senior Annemarie Bartow reached on an error that sent Carter to third, but the next two hitters struck out to end the game
 
LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Carter: 2-3
 
MIGHTY MACS IN THE CIRCLE
-Bormann (L, 9-6): 6 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
 
UP NEXT
-The Mighty Macs will play Mount St. Mary's (NY) at 1:30 p.m. in an elimination game, hoping to keep their season alive.