Nalbone and Patterson Toss Complete-Game Shutouts as Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader With American International
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Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 20, 2016) – Powered by complete-game shutouts from junior Matt Nalbone (Islip, N.Y./Islip) and senior James Patterson (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) and three RBI from sophomore Nick Arcabascio (Brooklyn, N.Y./Quinnipiac University), the Mercy College baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep of American International College with a 5-0 victory in game one and a 3-0 triumph in seven innings in the nightcap on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (7-9) have now won three in a row and improve to 4-1 at home, while the Yellow Jackets (5-12) have dropped three in a row.
Nalbone took the hill in the opener and went nine innings with ten strikeouts and just five hits allowed to pick up the win and improve to 2-2. Patterson made the start in the second game and was just as effective, allowing only five hits and striking out seven to earn the victory and move to 1-1. Arcabascio finished the day 3-for-7 with three RBI, while senior Giovanni Lasalandra (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) ended the afternoon 3-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Nicholas Chilson (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) batted 3-for-7 with a run scored and sophomore Bryan Torres (Bronx, N.Y./All Hallows) went 3-for-6 with a triple and two runs scored.
American International was led by Brett Bohl who went 3-for-7 on the day with a double. Nick Kennedy made the start in the opener and went the first seven innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss. Harrison Paige started on the mound in the nightcap and went the distance with two earned runs allowed to earn the loss.
Game 1: Mercy 5, American International 0
The opening game of the day saw Nalbone set the tone early as he retired the Yellow Jackets in order to begin the contest with a pair of strikeouts. The Mavericks responded by putting up a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first on two hits and an American International error. Torres led off the rally with a triple down the right field line before Arcabascio drove him home with an RBI groundout to make it 1-0.
Following a strikeout, junior Charles Fina (Kingston, N.Y./Ulster County CC) singled to right before coming around to score on a dropped fly ball in the outfield off the bat of junior Randal Mendez (New York, N.Y./Coppin State University) to make it 2-0 after the first inning.
Nalbone continued to cruise along as he set the Yellow Jackets down in order again in the second. Mercy added on another run in the bottom half of the frame as back-to-back singles from Lasalandra and Torres put runners on first and third with two outs. Arcabascio delivered an RBI single in the next at bat to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead after two innings.
That would be all the run support Nalbone needed as he did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and escaped a bases loaded jam by inducing a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
Mercy tacked on two more runs in the fifth on a pair of wild pitches to take a commanding 5-0 lead after five. Nalbone surrendered just two hits the rest of the way to send the Mavericks to a game one win.
Game 2: Mercy 3, American International 0
The nightcap saw another low-scoring affair breakout with the two teams combining for 14 hits and three runs in the contest.
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Mavericks got on the board in the third to take a 1-0 lead. Lasalandra led off the inning with a single and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior James Waters (Troy, N.Y./Fulton Montgomery CC). Torres then ripped a single to left field, moving Lasalandra to third with one out. Arcabascio then followed with his third RBI of the day, laying down a perfect bunt, which led to Lasalandra scoring.
The Yellow Jackets preceded to put runners on first and second in the fourth, but Patterson escaped the inning with a flyout and a strikeout to keep the score 1-0.
Mercy added on insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Lasalandra two-RBI double to left field to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead after four. That was all the support Patterson needed as he allowed only two hits for the remainder of the game to seal the win and give Mercy the sweep.
Head Coach Jason Lamando and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, March 24th at home against St. Thomas Aquinas College in their ECC opener at 3 p.m.
