Softball Secures #3 Seed in NCAA Division II Championship; Faces #6 Merrimack on Thursday at Molloy College

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Caldwell University softball team earned the #3 seed in the NCAA Division II Championship and will be part of the East Region 2 hosted by Molloy College. The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Champions secured the conference’s automatic bid and will take on #6 Merrimack College in the opening round on Thursday, May 11 at 2:30 pm. The Cougars enter the tournament at 44-13 overall and will be making their tenth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Caldwell takes on the #6 seed Merrimack College in their opening game on Thursday at 2:30 pm. Host and #2 seed Molloy faces #7 seed NYIT at noon. The winners will advance in the winner’s bracket to Friday’s game at 11 am. The teams that lose on Thursday will play an elimination game on Friday at 1:30 pm. The full schedule with times is listed below.

The Cougars enter the NCAA Division II Championship with a 44-13 mark. Caldwell won the CACC Regular Season title with a 25-1 record and won their seventh CACC Tournament Championship this past weekend. CACC Player of the Year junior Marisa Monasseri (Monroe, N.J.) leads the Cougars with a .507 batting average with 11 homeruns, 11 doubles, 65 RBI and .808 slugging percentage. First Team All-CACC senior Lauren Frye (Jupiter, Fla.) is second on the team with average at .428 with a team-best 77 hits along with 12 doubles this season.

In the other half of the region, East Region 1 will be hosted by Adelphi University and features the top seed Adelphi along with #4 University of New Haven, #5 Mercy College and #8 Wilmington University.

Here’s the complete schedule for this week’s tournament.

2017 NCAA Division II East Region Softball Tournament

East 2 Regional Schedule (Double Elimination)
Host: Molloy College, Rockville Centre, NY
Thursday, May 11
Game 1: #2 Molloy vs. #7 NYIT – 12:00 pm
Game 2: #3 Caldwell vs. #6 Merrimack – 2:30 pm
Friday, May 12
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 11:00 am
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 1:30 pm
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 – 4:00 pm
Saturday, May 13
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 – 12:00 pm
Game 7: If Necessary – 2:30 pm

East 1 Regional Schedule (Double Elimination)
Host: Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Thursday, May 11
Game 1: #1 Adelphi vs. #8 Wilmington Molloy – 12:00 pm
Game 2: #4 New Haven vs. #5 Mercy – 2:30 pm
Friday, May 12
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 – 11:00 am
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 1:30 pm
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 – 4:00 pm
Saturday, May 13
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 – 12:00 pm
Game 7: If Necessary – 2:30 pm