Andrew Bock Walkoff Single Helps Baseball to Split With ECC Rival Bridgeport
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (April 7, 2012) – Junior right fielder Andrew Bock (Malverne, N.Y.) came up with a clutch walk-off single to give the Mercy College baseball team the 7-6 win in the first game of a doubleheader with East Coast Conference rival the University of Bridgeport on Saturday afternoon, but one bad inning was enough for the Purple Knights to top the Mavericks in the second game, 9-3.
Mercy's record now stands at 6-20 overall and 4-7 in the ECC while Bridgeport's reads 6-11 (3-5).
Mercy 7, Bridgeport 6
The Mavericks took the first game with leading Rookie of the Year candidate Bryan Greig (New City, N.Y.) on the mound via small-ball tactics as they were without a single extra-base hit. Although neither starting pitcher had his best stuff, action was limited until the bottom of the second inning when Mercy took a one-run lead. Junior centerfielder Nick Papas (Castleton, N.Y.) reached first on a misfielded bunt and the Mavericks quickly loaded the bases for sophomore shortstop Jeremy Lovera (Carmel, N.Y.) who groundout into a fielder's choice that allowed Papas to score.
Bridgeport had an answer ready in the top of the third, as a leadoff single, error and walk loaded the bases for senior left fielder Matt Ranaudo (Milford, Conn.) to drive two in on a single to right field. Another walk later the infield fly rule was called but Lovera lost the ball in the sun, allowing another run to score to give the Purple Knights the 3-1 edge.
Bridgeport picked up another run in the top of the fourth inning as a bit-by-pitch, sacrifice bunt and single put men on first and third and sophomore second baseman John Ascenzia (West Haven, Conn.) singled the team's fourth run in. Mercy came up big in the bottom of the frame, however, drawing three walks to lead off the inning and chase junior Matt Wing (Brockville Ontario, Canada) from the game. Sophomore catcher John Casten (Walden, N.Y.) stepped to the plate and drew another walk to bring one run home, Bock hit a sacrifice fly and freshman second baseman Vinny Orlando (East Meadow, N.Y.) slapped an RBI single to left center to tie the game. Mercy loaded the bases again before the inning was out but Bridgeport's second reliever coaxed Papas into a fly out to end the frame.
Greig ran into some trouble in the fifth inning after allowing a double and intentionally walking the six-hitter but managed t get out of it unscathed, but he could not come out of the sixth clean as the leadoff man singled, was moved over on a sacrifice bunt and drove in by Ranaudo.
Down one run, Casten led off the bottom of the sixth with another walk. Sophomore Brendan Siegriest (Nanuet, N.Y.) pinch-ran for him and despite two close pick-off attempts, moved to third base on a sac bunt and wild pitch, scoring when Orlando sent another single to left center to tie things back up.
Senior first baseman Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) reached on an error in the next inning and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt. After his fourth walk of the game, Greig was replaced by freshman Joseph Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y.), who allowed the go-ahead run to score on a single by sophomore right fielder Kyle Ferri (Milford, Conn.) but drew two fly outs to end the inning.
Mercy was not about to give up, though, loading the bases quickly with one out. An infield fly brought the Mavericks down to their final out of the game, but with Bock at the plate the Mercy sideline cheered the team on and the right fielder came through in the clutch, smashing a single to left field that scored two to give Mercy the walkoff victory.
Greig made it through 6 1/3 innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on seven hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch while striking out five. Pareres picked up the win for his one-hit, two-out performance.
Wing was tagged for four earned runs on three hits and six walks over three innings in which he struck out just one, while senior Nick Vautrin (South Hadley, Mass.) took the loss on the two unearned runs in the seventh.
Mercy 3, Bridgeport 9
Bock led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, stole second as was then brought home by Greig on an RBI single to take another 1-0 lead. Bridgeport evened the score in the third inning when Renaudo picked up yet another RBI on a two-out double.
Senior Tyler Savin (Wantagh, N.Y.) surrendered only two singles and a walk while punching out four as he cruised through the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth. Schlitter led off with a triple off the centerfield wall and scored on a single in the next at-bat as Bridgeport took the lead, and a pair of singles later the bases were loaded. Sophomore centerfielder Jesse Solar (Marlton, N.J.) cleared them with a double off the wall in left center and scored on a wild pitch two outs later. After Ranaudo drew a walk, a single put two men on as Schlitter stepped back up to the plate and he belted an inside-the-park home run off the centerfield wall, giving the Purple Knights the 9-1 lead.
Mercy got one back in the bottom of the frame as Lovera singled freshman pinch-hitter Giovanni Lasalandra (Warwick, N.Y.) in with two outs and nearly kicked off a big rally in the fifth after loading the bases with one out, but nothing would come of it.
The Mavericks got their final run in the sixth inning when senior Joe Ganz (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) smashed a pinch-hit triple off the wall in right center and scored on the second baseman's throwing error.
Savin took the loss while senior Billy Dring (Mahopac, N.Y.) pitched two innings of one-hit ball with one strikeout in relief.
Junior Chris Maull (Winslow, N.J.) picked up the complete-game win, giving up three runs (two earned) on 11 hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Bock finished the day 2-7 with one run and four RBI and Orlando went 4-6 with two RBI and a walk in each game. Papas was 2-4 with two runs scored in the first game and senior left fielder Mike Gianzero (Highland Mills, N.Y.) posted a 1-2 line with two walks and two runs, while Greig went 2-4 with one RBI in the second game.
Ranaudo finished the day 4-7 with a walk, run and four RBI, while Ferri was 3-4 with a run and RBI in the first game and Schlitter led the second going 2-3 with a walk, two runs and three RBI.
Head Coach Bob Greiner and the Mavericks will face Bridgeport in Connecticut on Monday, April 9 in the third of four conference games the ECC rivals will play this year. First pitch will be thrown out at 3:00 p.m.
