Gross Homers Twice as Softball Hosts Queens
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 10, 2016) – Despite two home runs on the day from junior Julie Gross (Port Monmouth, N.J./Middletown North), the Mercy College softball team dropped 8-4 and 4-2 decisions to Queens College in an ECC doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (15-19, 6-10 ECC) fall to 4-6 at home, while the Knights (9-16, 6-10 ECC) snap a seven-game losing streak with the sweep.
Game 1: Queens 8, Mercy 4
The opening game of the day saw the two teams combine for 21 hits and 12 runs. After a scoreless opening inning, Queens put up five runs in the second to take a 5-0 lead. Kayla Morrissey led off the frame with a home run to right field to make it 1-0. After a run scored on an error later in the inning to make it 2-0, ToniMarie Valeriano smacked a three-run home run to center field to cap off the scoring in the inning.
Mercy got on the board in the bottom of the third with three runs to make it 5-3. Freshman Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal) got the scoring started with an RBI single to left field, scoring sophomore Marlena Marzigliano (Highland Mills, N.Y./Cornwall). After sophomore Morgan Lloyd (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) singled to load the bases, junior Katiana Golino (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) doubled home a pair of runs with two outs. However, Lloyd was gunned down at the plate trying to score the fourth run of the inning.
Queens put the game out of reach in the fifth as they scored three runs on four hits and an error, capped off by a two-run home run from Stevianne Ognibene to make it 8-3. The game remained 8-3 until the bottom of the seventh when Gross led off the inning with a solo home run to left center to make it 8-4. The deficit proved too much to overcome as the Mavericks went down in order to conclude the game.
Marzigliano, junior Liza Ueno (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin), Stevens and Lloyd all recorded two hits in game one, while junior Jackie Kielty (Middleboro, Mass./Dean College) pitched the first two innings to take the loss. Valeriano went the distance in the circle for Queens to pick up the victory.
Game 2: Queens 4, Mercy 2
The nightcap saw a pitcher's duel breakout early on between freshman starter McKaily Cusumano (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) and Knights starter Morgan Starley.
The score was tied at 1-1 after five innings of play after both teams scored a run in the third. Kristen Boody got Queens on the board with an RBI single to right center to make it 1-0. Ueno followed with an RBI groundout in the bottom half of the inning following a senior Milana Gilaga (Elmwood Park, N.J./Memorial) walk and Marzigliano double to make it 1-1.
The Knights broke the tie in the top of the sixth with a pair of unearned runs to take a 3-1 lead. Gross came back in the bottom half of the frame with her second home run of the day to cut the deficit to 3-2 after six innings.
A Kayla Morrissey RBI single up the middle in the seventh gave Queens a 4-2 lead. Lloyd led off the Mavericks seventh inning with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error by right fielder. However, a pair of groundouts and a strikeout ended the threat and the game.
Gross, Marzigliano and Lloyd recorded Mercy's three hits in game two, while Cusumano went the distance with one earned run allowed to take the loss. Starley pitched the full seven innings for the Knights and allowed just two earned runs and three hits to pick up the win.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume play tomorrow when they play at Felician University at 2:30 p.m.
