Vinny Orlando Perfect at the Plate but Baseball Drops ECC Matchup at Bridgeport, 7-4
Box Score BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (April 9, 2012) – Freshman second baseman Vinny Orlando (East Meadow, N.Y.) capitalized on all five plate appearances with three hits and a pair of walks but the Mercy College baseball team could not take the weekend rubber match against East Coast Conference rival the University of Bridgeport on Monday afternoon, falling 7-4.
Bridgeport improves to 7-11 overall and 4-5 in the ECC, while Mercy slips to 6-21 (4-8).
Junior right fielder Andrew Bock (Malverne, N.Y.) led off the game with a single and after an Orlando walk, junior centerfielder Nick Papas (Castleton, N.Y.) slapped two-out single to score Bock and take the 1-0 lead. A Mavericks error in the bottom of the inning allowed the tying run to score and senior first baseman Eric Schlitter (Guilford, Conn.) continued his hot hitting against Mercy with a double to bring home the go-ahead run.
Sophomore shortstop Jeremy Lovera (Carmel, N.Y.) doubled to lead off the next inning, stole third base and scored on a passed ball to tie the game back up and Mercy nearly retook the lead after a two-out Orlando triple, but the Purple Knights regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a groundout following a leadoff double. They tacked another on in the fourth and one more in the fifth to go up 5-2.
Mercy put another run on the board in the seventh inning as Bock again led off with a hit, this time a double and Orlando singled him in to cut the deficit to two. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, Bridgeport put another two runs up in the bottom of the inning and another Bock score in the ninth was not enough to get the Mavericks back into it.
Bock finished the day 2-3 with a walk, double and three runs, while Papas was 1-5 with two RBI. Sophomore Joe O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) took the loss after tossing five innings in which he allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, a walk and three hit-by-pitches while striking out five. Freshman Joe Pareres (Bronxville, N.Y.) pitched a scoreless frame in the eighth with one strikeout despite getting into some trouble with two hits and a walk,.
Junior catcher T.J. Mangan (Bronx, N.Y.) led Bridgeport at the dish going 2-2 with a walk, double, two runs and three RBI. Senior Nick Vautrin (South Hadley, Mass.) picked up the complete-game win, surrendering four runs (three earned) on nine hits, six walks and one hit batsman while striking out six.
Head Coach Bob Greiner and the Mavericks will host Caldwell College (7-16) in a non-conference bout on Tuesday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m.
