GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.- Freshman Emma Bischoff continued a dominant run for the No. 3 Mighty Macs (27-14) in the circle, as she tossed the team's fourth straight shutout and nearly no-hit Gwynedd Mercy in the winner's bracket final on Friday afternoon as the Macs advanced to the CSAC Championship Game with a 6-0 victory.
 
The Mighty Macs will play the winner of No. 1 Gwynedd Mercy and No. 4 Neumann at 12 p.m., and whoever wins that game will have to beat the Mighty Macs twice.  With one more win, the Mighty Macs will claim their first conference title in program history.
 
Bischoff went 6 2/3 innings without allowing a hit, while only three base runners reached, two by walk and one by error, before a single up the middle in the final inning with two outs ended the no hit bid.
 
On offense, senior Annemarie Bartow, sophomore Emily Mesey and sophomore Abigail Carter each had two hits.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Macs threatened in both the first and second innings as Mesey singled and got around to third in the first with two outs, and sophomore Michaela Petito tripled with one out in the second, but both times they were stranded there
-On the other side, Bischoff quickly worked through the first, then had two walks, but two strikeouts in the second to keep the game scoreless
-The Macs took the lead in the third as sophomore LeighAnn Brocious singled down the right field line, moved to second on a bunt, to third on an error by the pitcher before scoring on a wild pitch
-Bischoff responded with 1-2-3 innings in the third and fifth, and received help in the fourth as a batter reached by error, but Mesey gunned them down trying to steal and the Macs led 1-0 through five
-In the sixth, IU picked up three key insurance runs.  Carter singled, and sophomore Ashley Rey followed with an infield single to third base.  Bartow then lined a single to left-center to score a run, and a wild pitch scored Rey before Bartow came around on a throwing error to make it 4-0
-Bischoff put up her fourth perfect inning of the day, and Bartow tacked on more in the top of the seventh with a two-run double to right field, leaving her two shy of setting the NCAA record for most doubles in a career
-Bischoff induced a groundout and fly out in the seventh with the no hitter still intact, but with two strikes, a single up the middle ended the no-hit bid.  However, Bischoff ended it with a pop up, and no runner reached third base in either game today
 
LEADERS AT THE PLATE
-Mesey: 2-3, R
-Carter: 2-3, 2 R, 2 SB
-Bartow: 2-3, R, 3 RBI, 2B
 
MIGHTY MACS IN THE CIRCLE
-Bischoff (W, 15-5): 7 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 8 K