Mendez and Waters Record Multiple RBI as Baseball Hosts Felician
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 8, 2016) – Despite two RBI on the day from juniors Randal Mendez (New York, N.Y./Coppin State University) and James Waters (Troy, N.Y./Fulton Montgomery CC), the Mercy College baseball team dropped 10-5 and 6-4 decisions to Felician University in a non-conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (9-17) have dropped five in a row, while the Golden Falcons (16-15) have won 11 of their last 13 games.
Game 1: Felician 10, Mercy 5
The opening game of the day saw the visitors get on the board first in the second inning with three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Felician used two singles and two doubles to take the early lead. After the Mavericks went down in order in the second, the Golden Falcons tacked on three more runs in the third on an RBI groundout and a two-run home run from Ronnie Grant, making it 6-0.
Felician added a run in the fourth to make it 7-0. Senior Scott Hagan (Mamaroneck, N.Y./SUNY Binghamton) responded with the Mavericks first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth with two outs, but a fielder's choice to shortstop ended the inning.
The score remained 7-0 until the bottom of the sixth when sophomore Nick Arcabascio (Brooklyn, N.Y./Quinnipiac University) drove in sophomore Bryan Torres (Bronx, N.Y./All Hallows) after Torres had reached third following an error and a stolen base. Felician put across another run in the seventh on a wild pitch to increase their lead to 8-1.
The Mavericks responded with a pair of runs in the seventh to make it 8-3 as Waters singled home Mendez to start off the scoring in the frame. Waters later came around to score on a wild pitch to cap off the scoring.
Grant connected on another home run in the eighth to conclude the scoring for the visitors on the day. Mercy inched closer with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-5, but the deficit proved too much for the Mavericks to overcome.
Arcabascio and Mendez both finished the opener 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while junior Matt Nalbone (Islip, N.Y./Islip) made the start on the mound and took the loss in three innings of work. Grant led Felician with a 3-for-4 game one with five RBI and three runs scored. Starter Matt Blandino went the first six innings with one hit allowed to pick up the victory.
Game 2: Felician 6, Mercy 4 (7 Innings)
The nightcap saw the visitors score in all but two of the seven innings, while the Mavericks would not get their first hit until the fourth inning.
After a scoreless first inning, Felician took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second after a dropped fly ball in the outfield and a sacrifice fly later in the inning. The Golden Falcons plated another run in the third after Matt Diesel tripled and was brought home by an Andrew LaMura sacrifice fly to center field, making it 2-0.
Felician made it 3-0 in the fourth as Diesel hit a ground-rule double to left center that scored Mike Martone, who led off the inning with a single. Arcabascio doubled to lead off the fourth, giving the Mavericks their first hit, but a pair of flyouts and a strikeout ended the threat.
The Golden Falcons increased the lead to 5-0 in the fifth after an error by the third baseman led to two unearned runs scoring. Mercy finally got on the board in the bottom half of the inning when sophomore Liam Slattery (Floral Park, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) recorded an RBI groundout to score Mendez, who was hit by a pitch to start off the inning.
Felician added on a run in the seventh to make it 6-1 and looked to have the game well in hand heading to the Mavericks final at bat. However, Mercy did not go down without a fight as Hagan led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error. Hagan later stole third and was brought home by a junior Bryan Gutierrez (Bronx, N.Y./In-tech Academy) single, making it 6-2. Mendez then followed with a RBI triple to left center, scoring Gutierrez to make it 6-3. After a pitching change, Waters allowed Mendez to score on a sacrifice fly to get the Mavericks within two, 6-4, with one out. After a strikeout, freshman Joseph Sadallah (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) walked and was moved to third on a senior Giovanni Lasalandra (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) single to center field. Lasalandra stole second to put the tying runs in scoring position, but a groundout to the pitcher ended the game and gave the Golden Falcons the sweep.
Arcabascio went 2-for-4 in the nightcap, while Hagan, Gutierrez, Mendez and Lasalandra recorded the Mavericks other hits. Senior James Patterson (Cornwall, N.Y./Cornwall) made the start and tossed the first four innings to take the loss. Matt Diesel led Felician with a 2-for-4 game two with a run scored and an RBI. Jason Polgano made the start and pitched the first five innings to pick up the win, while Danny Naif picked up three outs in the seventh to earn the save.
Head Coach Jason Lamando and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, April 15th when they host Dowling College at 3 p.m.
