POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Niagara will play for the 2009 MAAC Softball Championship after it defeated Canisius 2-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Battle of the Bridge rivalry will be feature in the championship game with the winner earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman pitcher Julie DiMatteo (South Portland, Maine) pitched a gem in the complete-game victory. She tossed a three hitter and struck out four, while keeping Canisius scoreless.  

Canisius (25-23) threaten to score few and far between, but when the Golden Griffins did Niagara (30-18) was ready. Niagara escaped unscathed from a bases loaded jam in the second inning and DiMatteo assisted on the final out in the game with Canisius leaving two runners on base.

The Purple Eagles gave DiMatteo all the run support she needed in the sixth inning. Senior Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.) led off the inning with a single and was pinch run for by Laynie Stillman (Homer, N.Y.). Niagara was down to two outs and with Stillman on third when Maggie McDonald (Cicero, N.Y.) beat out an infield single to put NU up 1-0. Niagara added another run on a bases loaded walk.

Niagara will play Canisius for the 2009 title at 4:30 p.m.