GRANTHAM, Pa.— In a tremendous pitching battle to lead off the MAC Commowealth Softball Chamionships, neither team had a runner touch third base for the first five and a half innings. When Maeve Colligan led off the bottom of the sixth with a blast to center field the junior pinch hitter had only to touch the base briefly on her way to a celebration at home plate. When the Eagles tacked on a second run, that was all the room Danika Barthol would need to pitch her side through to tomorrow's semifinal game.

Barthol and Hood starter Rebecca Gottleib went pitch for pitch early. The Eagles had runners on each of the first five innings, but Gottleib made good pitches and got enough defensive help to keep the Eagles from threatening. Barthol also allowed base runners. Hood put a runner on in each of the first five innings. As most of those hits came with two outs, Barthol stayed in control. Sophie Rollins made a nice catch in left-center in the first inning and Alyssa Binczak made a nice leaping grab on a line-drive to second base in the sixth. 

Colligan came on to pinch hit for Barthol. She took two pitches and then jumped on a 2-0 offering for her fourth home run of the year. After Jania Long flew out, Sydney Ostolaza reached on a two-base error. She moved to second on a hit from Maura Yoos and scored on a fly ball to left from Ainsley O'Donnell. 

Barthol worked around a lead-off single in the seventh. After a pair of fly ball outs, the 2024 MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year struck out the final batter to end the game. Barthol, who threw a no-hitter in last year's MAC Commonwealth Championship game, scattered four hits over her outing to pick up her eleventh win of the year. 

The Eagles will play the winner of the game between top-seeded Messiah and Alvernia, the four seed, at noon tomorrow.