Nalbone Pitches Complete-Game Shutout to Lead Baseball to Doubleheader Split With STAC
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Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 25, 2016) – Powered by a complete-game shutout in game two from junior Matt Nalbone (Islip, N.Y./Islip) and three hits on the day from sophomore Nick Arcabascio (Brooklyn, N.Y./Quinnipiac University), the Mercy College baseball team earned a doubleheader split with ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday afternoon at Mercy Field. The Spartans earned a 3-2 victory in the opener before the Mavericks salvaged a split with a 2-0 victory in seven innings in game two.
The Mavericks (8-11, 1-2 ECC) pick up their first conference win of the season and snap a two-game losing streak, while the Spartans (14-6, 2-1 ECC) have now won four of their last six games.
Game 1: St. Thomas Aquinas 3, Mercy 2
The opening game of the day, which featured a 39-minute rain delay, saw the two teams combine for just five runs and 13 hits. Senior James Patterson (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) made the start for the Mavericks and continued his strong play as he went the distance with just one earned run allowed and five strikeouts. However, Spartans starter Matt Kostalos also went the distance with one earned run allowed and nine strikeouts to outduel Patterson and pick up the win.
With Mercy playing as the road team in both contests, the score was tied at 0-0 after two innings of play before senior Scott Hagan (Mamaroneck, N.Y./SUNY Binghamton) got the Mavericks on the board with an RBI single after Arcabascio had begun the threat with a triple.
The contest remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when Mercy scored an unearned run to take a 2-0 lead. The Mavericks would later load the bases in the inning, but a double play ended the scoring chance and kept the score at 2-0.
Patterson continued to deal, but the Spartans finally broke through with a pair of unearned runs to tie the game up at 2-2. The go-ahead run was thrown out at home, making it 2-2 after six innings of play. Kostalos settled down and set the Mavericks down in order in the next three innings, but Patterson was up to the challenge keeping the Spartans off the board in the next two innings. St. Thomas Aquinas would pull off a dramatic win as Giovanni Dingcong homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth to give the Spartans a 3-2 win in game one.
Arcabascio went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Hagan batted 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Game 2: Mercy 2, St. Thomas Aquinas 0
The nightcap saw another low-scoring affair breakout as the two teams combined for just nine hits in seven innings. However, the Mavericks wasted little time in getting on the board as they plated a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Bryan Torres (Bronx, N.Y./All Hallows) led off the game with a double and was sacrificed over by Arcabascio. After a flyout, Torres scored on a wild pitch to put Mercy up 1-0. That would be all the run support Nalbone needed as the junior shutdown the Spartans, allowing no runs on four hits to pick up where he left off after being named ECC Pitcher of the Week earlier this week.
The Spartans threatened with a runner on third in the second, but Nalbone induced a groundout to keep the score 1-0 after two. After a 1-2-3 inning by the Mavericks, Nalbone worked around a first and third situation to keep the shutout intact.
The score held at 1-0 until the sixth when Torres led off the inning with a triple. Arcabascio followed with an RBI single to right field to score Torres and increase the lead to 2-0. Nalbone responded by not allowing a baserunner for the remainder of the game to seal the win and improve to 3-2 on the mound this year.
Torres went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Arcabascio went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Head Coach Jason Lamando and the Mavericks look to split the season series with the Spartans as they conclude the series on Monday, March 28th at Mercy Field at 3 p.m.
