GLENSIDE, PA. (May 9, 2021) – Led by yet another stellar effort in the circle by senior Jessie Masur and multi-hit games from four different student-athletes, including three by fifth-year Gina DeOliveira, the Stevens Institute of Technology softball team earned a 7-1 victory over Arcadia University Sunday to advance to the MAC Freedom Tournament Championship series for the first time in program history.

With the win, Stevens takes two of three games in the series and improves to 20-7 overall and will now take on #1 Misericordia University in a three game set to determine the winner of the conference title and who will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Excluding the 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ducks have now won at least 20 games in each of their last seven seasons dating back to 2014.

Arcadia, meanwhile, closes the year 21-12 overall after earning the #3 seed in the conference tournament.

"This was the best team effort we put forth all season," head coach Emily Kaczmarek said. "I am so proud of each and every one of our student-athletes. Arcadia is not an easy team to beat and we have had to work really hard to accomplish what we did today."

The Ducks, playing as the home team on the scoreboard due to being the higher seed in the series, started the scoring in the bottom of the first.

After graduate student Samantha Schattin and DeOliveira led the frame off with singles to put two runners in scoring position with no outs, sophomore Alex Schoellig lifted what looked like it was going to be a sacrifice fly to right field, but Schattin was thrown out at the plate attempting to tag.

With a runner on third and two away, fifth-year Abigail Circelli, who was the hero with a walk-off single in game one, came through once again with an RBI single through the left side to make it 1-0.

In the top of the second, the Knights tied the game on a squeeze play and had runners on first and third with one away looking to take the lead.

Stevens' defense responded in a big way though, as the next batter hit a ground ball to DeOliveira at third that resulted in an untraditional 5-4-2 double play with Alexa Vardiman being thrown out at the plate trying to score.

Senior Madison Gemma immediately gave the Ducks the lead right back when she hit the first pitch she saw in the bottom half of the inning over the wall in center field. It was Gemma's second home run this season and proved to be the game-winner as Masur (14-2) did not allow another run the rest of the way.

The Ducks broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with a four-run inning.

After graduate student Victoria Kapp reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a wild pitch, junior Meg Halloran ripped a double down the left field line to push the lead to two.

Schattin then drew a walk and DeOliveira delivered the big blow of the inning with a two-RBI double into the gap in right center that made the score 5-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, senior Amanda Delorme led the inning off with a single down the left field line and Kapp followed it up by going in the opposite direction with an RBI triple down the right field line.

The seventh and final run of the contest for Stevens came when Schattin singled into left to bring home Kapp.

The offensive output was more than enough for Masur in the circle who earned her conference-best 14th win of the season as she scattered seven hits and lowered her season earned run average to 1.17.

Offensively, eight of the nine starters in the lineup recorded at least one hit while Schattin, DeOliveira, Gemma and Halloran all had multi-hit efforts.

Next Up: The Ducks will face off with the Cougars in the MAC Freedom Championship with the first two games in Dallas, Pa., and the third contest, if necessary, in Weehawken, N.J. with Misericordia acting as the home team. The two teams did not face each other in the regular season and it is believed to be the first meeting between the two teams in the history of the programs.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise