ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University softball team advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship Weekend with a 9-0 five inning win over Marywood University in a first round game on Wednesday.
 
In the 9-0 win, Jen Sieminski went five scoreless innings for the win. She allowed five hits and struck out a pair. Julia Cox went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Grace Sperrazza hit a three-run game-ending homerun and finished with four RBI.

Neumann is the No. 4 seed in the tournament, after finishing conference action 17-5. This weekend's double-elimination action will be played at No. 1 seeded Gwyned Mercy.
 
No. 2 seeded Cabrini and No. 3 seeded Immaculata open the play this weekend at 10:00 AM on Friday.
The Knights and the Griffins will face each other at 12:00 PM. The teams that fall in the first two games will meet in an elimination game at 2:00 PM. The two winnings teams will meet at 4:00 PM on Friday.
 
On Saturday, the two teams with one loss will meeting in an elimination game at 10:00 AM. The winner will advance to the championship game against the winner Friday's 4:00 PM winner.

Against the opponents: 
 
No. 1 Gwynedd Mercy (29-5)
The Knights split with the Griffins during the regular season. Neumann won the first game 18-4 in five innings. Gwynedd Mercy took game two 6-4. Jackie Schneider went 2-for-3 with four RBI and three runs scored in the first game. Sieminski struck out five over the five innings.

No. 2 Cabrini (22-10)
Neumann won both games against Cabrini during the regular season, by scores of 10-1 (6 inn.) and 27-14 (5 inn.). Schneider knocked in seven in game two as the team combined for 41 hits over the five innings. Kierstin Fallers knocked in five and scored five runs. Jackie Selby went 5-for-6 with four RBI and four runs scored.
 
No. 3 Immaculata (23-25)
Neumann dropped both games to the Mighty Macs during the regular season by scores of 5-1 and 3-0. Schneider hit a solo homerun in the first game.
  
The Knights
 
Neumann (22-14) is being led by Fallers, who is batting .487 in 34 contests. She has 56 hits, including 13 doubles, five triples and three homeruns. Schneider is batting .462 in 28 contests. The junior has 44 hits, including 12 doubles, four triples and four homeruns.  Cox is batting .458 with 49 hits, including 13 doubles. Kate Korte' leads the team with 15 doubles and is batting .411 and is one of only two Knights to start all 36 games.
 
Sieminski leads the Knights in the circle and is 11-6. She has a 2.65 ERA in 18 contests. The sophomore leads the team in innings pitched with 103.0 and has struck out 82 batters. Taylor Naman is 8-7 in the circle and has pitched 78.1 innings.
 
This is Neumann's 15^th straight appearance in the postseason. The Knights are playing for their ninth championship and fourth straight this weekend.