Mercurio featured on NCAA.com "Championship Central" page

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Lesley University softball will return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season after winning a fifth straight league title, and the Lynx will take on top seed and host Eastern Connecticut State University on Thursday at 11:00 a.m.

            The Warriors, ranked No. 2 nationally in last week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25, are led by starting pitcher Molly Rathburn, who leads the country with 25 wins. At 40-1 on the season, Eastern enters on the heels of a Little East Conference Championship after going 14-0 in LEC play.

            Lesley enters at 28-10 having won 12 straight, including three in a row in last weekend's New England Collegiate Conference Championship, the Lynx fourth consecutive and fifth straight league title overall. Sophomore Nicole Mercurio (Wakefield, MA/Wakefield) was named NECC Tournament MVP after homering and driving in three runs in all three of Lesley's wins, and starter Jennifer Dorval (Franklin, NH/Franklin) went 15-2, including 10-0 in NECC play on the season.

            Seeded No. 1 in the Willimantic, CT bracket and winners of 39 straight, the No. 2-ranked Warriors are Lesley's highest-ranked opponent ever. In last year's NCAA Tournament, Coast Guard, ranked No. 6 nationally, came from behind to knock off the Lynx 7-4.

           The Willimantic, CT bracket is below:

1. Eastern Conn St (40-1)

8. Lesley (28-10)

5. Coast Guard (26-17)

4. Ithaca (30-12)

3. Rochester NY (28-13)

6. St. John Fisher (33-12)

7. Salem St. (32-12)

2. Tufts (36-5)

Thursday, May 10, 2012
GAME 1 #1 vs. #8 11:00 AM
GAME 2 #4 vs. #5 1:30 PM
GAME 3 #3 vs. #6 4:00 PM
GAME 4 #2 vs. #7 6:30 PM

Friday, May 11, 2012
GAME 5 Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 11:00 AM
GAME 6 Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 1:30 PM
GAME 7 Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 4:00 PM
GAME 8 Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 6:30 PM

Saturday, May 12, 2012
GAME 9 Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7 11:00 AM
GAME 10 Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8 1:30 PM
GAME 11 Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 4:00 PM
GAME 12 Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 6:30 PM

Sunday, May 13, 2012
GAME 13 Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11 12:00 PM
GAME 14 Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13 2:30 PM