The Misericordia University baseball team defeated DeSales 10-6 to earn its fifth straight Freedom Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon at Owls Field in West Lawn, PA.
 
With the victory the Cougars have earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament at a site that has yet to be determined.
 
Chris Boroch was named tournament MVP for an outstanding showing both offensively and defensively.
 
D.J. Navoczynski led the high-powered MU offense with three RBI while Steve Cuccio and Al Reda drove in two runs each. Boroch, Kyle Lindsay and Miles Westrich drove in one run each in the victory.
 
Cory Lee picked up the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Jake Kurtz allowed three earned runs in the first 3.1 innings while striking out one and walking one. Michael Turton tossed a scoreless ninth to preserve the victory.
 
Boroch led off the game with a double down the left field line, DeCotiis walked and Lindsay moved them over to second and third with a grounder to the right side. Navoczynski then put the Cougars on the board with an infield single to third base. Cuccio drove in the final run of the inning with a single down the left field line, giving MU a 2-0 advantage heading into the home half of the first.
 
DeSales got one back in the home half of the second on an RBI groundout to the right side, tightening the Cougars' lead to just 2-1 after two innings.
 
The Cougars' offense awoke in the top of the fourth. Westrich started the rally with an RBI single to left field. Reda followed with a perfect bunt, allowing Cuccio to score from third and Boroch capped the rally with an RBI double down the left field line, extending the MU lead to 5-1.
 
The Bulldogs answered with three of their own to again make it a one-run game at 5-4 after four innings of play.
 
However, the MU offense stayed hot, as Navoczynski started a rally with an RBI double in the top of the fifth. Cuccio added an RBI single up the middle and Reda capped the rally with an RBI single up the middle, extending the Cougars' lead to 8-4.
 
The Bulldogs got one back, cutting the MU lead to 9-5 after six innings of play.
 
The Cougars answered with one of their own in the top of the seventh. Lindsay crushed double to the left-centerfield gap, allowing Boroch to score from second and give MU a 10-5 lead heading into the home half of the seventh.
 
DeSales added one run in the bottom of the eighth, but it was too little, too late, as the Cougars hung on for the 10-6 victory.
 
With the win, MU improves to 29-11. DeSales finishes its season 28-17.