AMES, Iowa -- Top-seeded Mount Mercy completed its run through the 2010 Midwest Collegiate Conference Softball Tournament with a 3-1 victory over second-seeded William Penn in Sunday's championship round at the Southwest Complex.

The Mustangs (36-9) earned the MCC's automatic berth in the 30th Annual NAIA Softball National Championship, May 20-26, in Decatur, Ala. Mount Mercy, which also won its first regular season conference title since 1992, will make its fourth trip to the national tournament and first since 1990.

Senior center fielder Sheena Canady got Mount Mercy off to a good start, leading off the game with a single, then scoring on senior shortstop Brianna Williams' two-out double. It was Canady who got things going again in the third inning, drilling a leadoff double before senior right fielder Emily Madsen brought her home with a sacrifice fly.

Sophomore right-hander Becca Smith (26-3) held the Lady Statesmen (44-13) hitless through four innings and didn't allow a run until the sixth, when Leah Mork reached on an error and came home on Andrea Rensberger's single. The Mustangs got that run back in the seventh on Smith's seventh home run of the season.

Smith set William Penn down in order in the home half of the seventh, closing out the game with her eighth strikeout. She allowed only three hits and increased her single-season strikeout record to 279 against just 19 walks. It was her 26th complete game in 27 starts.

The 32 qualifiers for the national championship and the tournament schedule will be announced early this week. Pool play runs Thursday-Saturday, May 20-22, with the winners of the eight pools moving to a double-elimination playoff Monday-Wednesday, May 24-26. All games will be held at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex in Decatur.