LORETTO, Pa. — Ticket punched. And validated!

For the 11th time in Roy Kortmann's 29 seasons as head coach, the LIU softball team has claimed the Northeast Conference postseason title and is headed to an NCAA Regional.

The Sharks completed the feat with a 4-2 victory in a winner-take-all championship game against Merrimack on Sunday.

LIU defeated Merrimack on consecutive days in the championship round after the Warriors sent the Sharks into the losers' bracket with a win between the teams on Friday.

Officially, LIU already had claimed the NCAA berth before the championship round, since Merrimack is still transitioning from Division II and is not yet eligible.

LIU, on the Selecton Show late Sunday, was assigned the Tuscaloosa Regional and will face host and fifth-seeded Alabama in the opener. Middle Tennessee and Central Arkansas also are at the regional.   

Earlier on Sunday, Mari Narvaiz scored in the fourth inning to break a 2-all tie when she scampered home on an error as Priscilla Gillies stole second. The Sharks got security later that frame when Alyssa Okada scored on a wild pitch.

Kira Buckner tossed three scoreless frames in relief to close out Sunday's win.

LIU captured its first NEC postseason title since 2016.

"This is a refreshing group. They're good kids," Kortmann said. "They have a positive image. They have a good brand."

The Sharks had ended host and top-seeded Saint Francis U's five-season reign as NEC champion in an elimination game on Friday.

"I don't think it would have been an NEC Tournament if it wasn't risky like that," Buckner said.

Camryn Lyman, who hit .545 with five runs scored over five tourney games, was named tournament MVP.  Teammates Gabby Padilla, Alyssa Polemeni and Buckner were named to the all-tournament team.