Vinny Orlando Leads Offense as Baseball Drops ECC Doubleheader to Queens College
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (April 21, 2012) – Freshman second baseman Vinny Orlando (East Meadow, N.Y.) led the Mavericks offense out of the leadoff spot in both games as the Mercy College baseball team dropped a doubleheader to East Coast Conference rival Queens College by scores of 5-0 and 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.
Queens improves to 11-21 overall and 6-11 in the ECC while Mercy slips to 6-30 (4-15).
Queens 5, Mercy 0
Freshman Bryan Greig (New City, N.Y.) and junior Steven Kaplan (Howard Beach, N.Y.) had a serious pitchers dual going through the first four innings as both hit some early snags but came away unscathed until the fifth inning. A pair of leadoff singles for Queens put men on first and third base for a fielder's choice and throwing error to score the game's first run and junior second baseman Rob Bernardo (State Island, N.Y.) doubled another in. A balk scored the third and a bases-loaded walk to the next batter brought the fourth run of the inning home.
The Knights got an insurance run in the sixth inning before Mercy had its best chance of the game to score, as Orlando reached third base with one out but the Mavericks were unlucky enough to be doubled off at first on a lineout to end the inning.
Orlando led the Mavericks going 1-2 with a walk at the plate while Greig was tagged with the loss after allowing four earned runs on four hits, five walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out five over five innings. Sophomore Brian McNamara (Brewster, N.Y.) tossed his second scoreless inning in as many days.
Bernardo finished 1-3 with a walk, run and RBI while junior shortstop Danny Muller (North Babylon, N.Y.) was 1-3 with a run and RBI and junior right fielder Steven Varela (Glendale, N.Y.) was 0-2 with a walk and two runs. Kaplan recorded the complete-game shutout, surrendering only four hits and a walk while punching out two.
Queens 4, Mercy 3
The second contest started similarly to the first as senior Tyler Savin (Wantagh, N.Y.) and junior Jared Mancini (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) battled vigorously through two scoreless innings. Each hit some trouble in the third, however. Savin picked up two outs in the top of the frame but with men of second and third, freshman third baseman Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y.) smacked a single up the middle to plate both runners. Mercy responded in the bottom of the inning putting men on first and third with freshman catcher Sal Palumbo (Medford, N.Y.) scoring on a double play to cut the Knights' lead to 2-1.
Queens increased its lead in the next inning when Palumbo missed the target attempting to throw out the lead runner on a double steal, allowing him to score and make the score 3-1. Mercy seemed about to put together a response in the bottom of the frame but a double play ended the inning in debatable fashion when the runner advancing to second was called out on interference.
Neither pitcher surrendered much of anything over the next few innings until Mercy tied things back up in the bottom of the sixth. The Mavericks had the bases loaded with one out as sophomore right fielder Michael Dern (Roslyn, N.Y.) stepped to the plate. Dern smacked a single to left field to bring one run home and Palumbo connected well enough on the next pitch to send it to center field and plate the second runner on the sacrifice fly.
The Knights responded in the top of the seventh, however, as sophomore left fielder Joe Salanitri (West Islip, N.Y.) reached third base on a single and error and scored the go-ahead run on a double by LoBello. Mercy picked up a hit in the bottom of the inning but could not put together another rally, falling by one.
Orlando was 2-3 with a walk in the second game while sophomore third baseman Ken Post (Closter, N.J.) and sophomore first baseman Jesus Jaile (Hartsdale, N.Y.) also recorded two hits. Savin was tagged with the loss, having surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out four batters.
LoBello finished 2-4 with three RBI and Bernardo was 2-4 with a run. Mancini lasted 5 1/3 innings, over which he allowed three earned runs on five hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch while whiffing two. Varela, taking the mound after playing the rest of the day in right field, picked up the win after 1 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits.
Head Coach Bob Greiner and the Mavericks will host ECC rival C.W. Post (21-15, 11-5) on Tuesday, April 24 t 3:00 p.m.
