Cusumano and Marzigliano Help Lead Softball to Wins Over Cedarville and Pittsburgh-Johnstown
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Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 12, 2016) – Led by another strong outing in the circle from freshman McKaily Cusumano (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) in game two and a three-RBI day from sophomore Marlena Marzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y./Cornwall), the Mercy College softball team picked up a 4-2 victory over Cedarville University in their opening game before capping off the day with a 4-1 triumph over the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Saturday afternoon in Florida.
The Mavericks (5-5) have won three of four to begin their Florida trip, while Cedarville is now 6-10 and Pittsburgh-Johnstown is 1-8.
Game 1: Mercy 4, Cedarville 2
The opening game of the day saw the Mavericks fall behind 2-0 after two innings of play and remained down two runs heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Mercy would tie the game up at 2-2 in the fifth following a pair of errors, a sacrifice bunt and a two-RBI single down the right field line off the bat of Marzigliano. The Mavericks threatened for more but a pair of groundouts ended the inning.
Sophomore Melanie Palmieri (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) would give the Mavericks the lead for good in the sixth as she drove in a run before an error by the Cedarville centerfielder led to another run scoring and Palmieri moving to second. Mercy would follow with runners on second and third but a groundout would end the threat with the Mavericks leading 4-2.
Junior Stephanie Kirgan (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) came in and worked around a walk to finish off the win for Mercy in their first game of the day. Junior Jackie Kielty (Middleboro, Mass./Dean College) worked three scoreless innings in relief of freshman Joelle Salisbury (Rotterdam, N.Y./Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons) to pick up the win, while Kirgan earned the save.
Marzigliano went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while senior Amanda Gardiner (Stratford, N.J./Sterling) finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Game 2: Mercy 4, Pitt-Johnstown 1
The nightcap would be Cusumano's time to shine again as she went 6 1/3 innings allowing her first run of the season, while striking out nine to move to 4-0.
Mercy carried over the momentum from their opening game win as junior Liza Ueno (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) drove home Marzigliano to make it 1-0. Freshman Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal) later brought home Ueno with a single to center field to make it 2-0 after the top of the first.
Cusumano followed by not allowing the Mountain Cats to record a hit throughout the first three innings and the Mavericks would get her another run as Marzigliano recorded an RBI groundout in the fourth to put Mercy up 3-0.
Cusumano finally gave up her first hit in the fourth, but would work around it to keep the Mountain Cats off the board. The Mavericks manufactured another run in the sixth on a pair of hits and a Pitt-Johnstown error to make it 4-0.
The Mountain Cats finally broke the 26 1/3 scoreless inning streak tossed by Cusumano in the sixth as they used two hits in the frame to produce a run and make it 4-1. The Mountain Cats got a runner on first in their last at bat but Stevens, who came in relief of Cusumano, finished off the game to give the Mavericks a sweep on the day.
Marzigliano went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI and Ueno and Stevens both ended the contest 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks conclude their Florida trip tomorrow with matchups against Wayne State (Mich.) and Minnesota State Moorhead beginning at 9 a.m.
