The SCC softball tournament begins Tuesday with the quarterfinal round. Below is Register beat writer Mike Pucci's prediction of how the tournament may unfold.

Tuesday
Quarterfinals

No. 8 North Haven at No. 1 Hand: Hand defeated the Indians twice this season, both by 4-2 finals. Home-field advantage, and a more experienced club, means Hand moves on.

No. 5 Lyman Hall at No. 4 Sheehan: Sheehan emerged with two, 1-0 extra-inning victories over its crosstown rival during the regular season. But my hunch here is that Lyman Hall finally finds a way to knock off the Titans.

No. 6 Derby at No. 3 Cheshire: Derby has enjoyed its best season (14-6) in years, and makes their first appearance in the SCC tournament. But Cheshire is deeper, and more talented, and the Rams will book a date into the semifinals.

No. 7 Amity at No. 2 Mercy: This is a rematch of last year's semifinal, won by Amity, which went on to win the crown. Although Amity made a late-season surge to make the SCC field, Mercy wins a close one here.

Semifinals
Wednesday
at West Haven High

No. 1 Hand vs. No. 5 Lyman Hall: These teams did not meet during the regular season. Although Lyman Hall pitcher Lauren Zambrano will keep the Trojans in the game, Hand has too much offensively.

No. 2 Mercy vs. No. 3 Cheshire: Cheshire was the first team to beat Mercy this season, after the Rams emerged with a 2-1 victory on May 5. Mercy beat Cheshire, 2-0, in the season-opener. Expect another close contest, with Mercy coming out on top.

Final
Thursday
at West Haven, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Hand vs. No. 2 Mercy: Mercy won both meetings during the regular season. Both teams feature effective pitchers, solid defense and explosive offenses. However, Mercy walks off with the title.