Five-Hit Day From Lloyd and Cochis Pitching Leads Softball to Sweep of St. Thomas Aquinas
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Box Score 2 SPARKILL, N.Y. (Apr. 22, 2015) – Powered by a 5-for-7 day with two runs scored and an RBI from freshman Morgan Lloyd (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) and a complete game victory from sophomore Anna Cochis (Clifton Park, N.Y./Catholic Central) in game one, the Mercy College softball team earned a sweep of ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas with 2-1 and 5-3 victories on Wednesday afternoon at Spartan Field.
The Mavericks (10-33, 9-17 ECC) reach double-digit wins on the season with the sweep, while the Spartans (11-28, 5-21 ECC) fall into a tie for last place in the ECC standings with the losses.
Game 1: Mercy 2, St. Thomas Aquinas 1
As has been the case for most of the season Mercy would find itself in a low-scoring affair in the opener with a combined three runs scored on 14 hits.
Cochis made the start in the circle and would put up four scoreless innings to start the contest and keep the Mavericks in the game. Spartans starter Julie Sosnicki was just as strong, throwing three scoreless innings to open up the game.
However, the scoring drought would come to an end in the top of the fourth after a rain delay as Lloyd singled home senior Jackie Couillard (Wolcott, Conn./Wolcott) from second to give Mercy a 1-0 lead. The Mavericks would look to add more in the inning as Lloyd advanced to third, but a foul out to first ended the threat and inning.
St. Thomas Aquinas finally got a run off Cochis in the fifth following a double and RBI single to even things up at 1-1 heading to the sixth.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Couillard, who has been strong at the plate all season, delivered with an RBI double to score sophomore Liza Ueno (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) from first with two outs in the inning and give Mercy a 2-1 lead heading into the Spartans final at bat.
Cochis shut the door on St. Thomas Aquinas in the bottom half of the seventh to end the game and secure a game one victory for the Mavericks.
Lloyd went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Couillard finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Cochis went the distance with only the one earned run allowed on five hits to earn her fourth win of the year.
Game 2: Mercy 5, St. Thomas Aquinas 3
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy would jump out to a 2-0 lead following an Alyssa Gutierrez (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic) sacrifice fly and Marlena Marzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y./Cornwall) RBI groundout.
The Spartans quickly responded with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1 after two full.
The Mavericks tacked on a run in the third as senior Michelle Duford (Maple Ridge, B.C./Seward County CC) doubled home Couillard from first to make it 3-1 after two and a half innings. Once again St. Thomas Aquinas came back with a leadoff home run in their next at bat to make it 3-2 after three innings.
After two scoreless innings, Mercy would give themselves a three-run lead in the sixth as Lloyd scored on passed ball and Ueno smacked an RBI single to score Marzigliano and put the Mavericks up 5-2.
The Spartans added a run in the bottom of the sixth on a fielder's choice to make it 5-3 after six. Despite a late rally in the bottom of the seventh, St. Thomas Aquinas could not find the tying runs and Mercy headed home with the sweep.
Lloyd batted 3-for-4 in the nightcap with two runs scored, while Ueno ended up 1-for-2 with an RBI. Duford went 1-for-4 with a run scored and RBI. Sophomore Jackie Kielty (Middleboro, Mass./Dean College) came in relief of starter Holly Pundick (Whiterock, B.C./Jefferson College) and tossed five innings with one run allowed on three hits to notch her third win of the year.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks will return to action on Friday, April 24th as they host Nyack in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2:30 pm.
