Four Mavericks Pick Up Two Hits Apiece in Baseball ECC Loss to Dowling
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (April 15, 2012) – Four Mavericks picked up a pair of hits apiece as the Mercy College baseball team hung tight with East Coast Conference rival Dowling College through seven innings before falling, 9-3, on Sunday afternoon.
Dowling improves to 22-13 overall and 11-4 in the ECC, while Mercy drops to 6-26 (4-11).
Dowling got on the board early as sophomore first baseman Matt Benedetto (Wantagh, N.Y.) smashed a two-out double off the left field fence, scoring two and advancing to third base on the throw.
Neither pitcher allowed more than one base runner over the next three innings except for a walk and hit-by-pitch in the top of the fourth, but Mercy's bats woke up in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore third baseman Ken Post (Closter, N.J.) led off with a single and was brought home by sophomore shortstop Jeremy Lovera (Carmel, N.Y.) before the Mavericks loaded the bases for freshman first baseman Joseph Gismondi (East Meadow, N.Y.), who picked up an RBI with a groundout to first.
The pitchers continue their dual tied 2-2 through the next two innings, but sophomore Joe O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) took a hit in the top of the seventh inning. Senior catcher Taylor Bargiacchi (Saddle River, N.J.) doubled to lead off and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a single by sophomore second baseman Andrew Abreu (Lake Grove, N.Y.) to give Dowling the 3-2 lead.
Mercy got a runner to third base in the bottom of the inning but could not push him across the plate, and the Golden Lions tacked on six insurance runs in the top of the eighth to take the commanding 9-2 lead.
Mercy managed to get one run back in the bottom of the ninth when freshman second baseman Vinny Orlando (East Meadow, N.Y.) slapped a single up the middle to bring junior right fielder Andrew Bock (Malverne, N.Y.) home after walking and stealing second.
Bock finished the day 2-4 with a walk, run and stolen base, junior centerfielder Nick Papas (Castleton, N.Y.) went 2-4, Orlando was 2-5 with an RBI and Lovera went 2-4 with a double and an RBI. O'Neill was saddled with the loss after allowing three earned runs on seven hits, a walk and three bit-by-pitches over 6 1/3 innings. Pareres surrendered two unearned runs on two hits while striking out three batters in his two innings pitched.
Benedetto was 1-3 with a walk, double, run and two RBI while Bargiacchi finished 2-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. The Golden Lions amassed 10 hits and two walks as well as stealing five bases as a team. Junior Adam Brown (Melville, N.Y.) picked up his third win of the year after allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits while whiffing five over seven innings.
Head Coach Bob Greiner and the Mavericks will head out to Rockville Centre to face Molloy College (14-19, 4-7) in another ECC matchup on Wednesday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m.
