Three Record Three RBI as Softball Sweeps LIU Post to Earn Program's First-Ever ECC Regular Season Title
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Box Score 2 BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Apr. 29, 2017) – Powered by three RBI on the day from senior Julie Gross (Port Monmouth, N.J./Middletown North) and juniors Morgan Lloyd (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) and Skania Lemus (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwestern CC), the Mercy College softball team earned the program's first-ever ECC Regular Season Championship with 3-2 and 9-8 victories over LIU Post on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (29-13, 18-6 ECC) have secured the No. 1 seed in next week's ECC Tournament and will host the tournament beginning on Thursday, May 4th with times to be announced. Mercy also sweeps the season series against the Pioneers (23-23, 9-13 ECC) for the first time in school history.
Game 1: Mercy 3, LIU Post 2
A pitcher's duel broke out in game one as sophomore McKaily Cusumano (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) and LIU Post starter Hannah Olshevski tossed five scoreless innings to begin the contest. Mercy was finally able to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth as Lemus scored on a wild pitch and leading off the inning with a double to right center.
The Pioneers took their first lead of the game in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI double by Kayla McCoy with two outs, giving LIU Post a 2-1 lead heading into the Mavericks final at bat.
Junior Baylee McCormick (Las Vegas, Nev./Indian Springs) led off the seventh with a single and later moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout, Lemus tied the game up on a single to right center that scored McCormick. Gross singled and then Lemus and Gross advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Lloyd then stepped up and delivered a single to right center that scored Lemus to give Mercy a 3-2 win in game one.
Lemus went 2-for-3, with an RBI, while Lloyd and Gross went 1-for-3. Cusumano went the distance in the circle to earn the win.
LIU Post was led by McCoy who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Olshevski went the distance to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 9, LIU Post 8
LIU Post jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game two after runs in the top of the first and third. Mercy took the lead in the bottom of the third with five runs to take a 5-2 lead. Gross hit a two-run double that scored senior Janelle Wade (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) and junior Allie Pellizzaro (Victoria, British Columbia/Eastern Arizona CC) and Lloyd followed with a two RBI double to left field. Mercy later added a run on a throwing error by the LIU Post shortstop to conclude the scoring in the inning.
It remained 5-2 until the top of the sixth when the Pioneers put up six runs to take an 8-5 lead, heading to the bottom of the sixth. Lemus gave the lead back to the Mavericks in the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI triple to right center. Gross followed with an RBI single to center field that tied the score up at 8-8 heading to the final inning.
After LIU Post went down in order in the top of the seventh, junior Cassidy Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Monroe College) led off the bottom of the inning with a double to center field. Freshman Destini Bullock (San Diego, Calif./Helix) then singled home Wootten for the game-winning run to give Mercy the sweep.
Gross went 4-for-4 with three RBI, while Lloyd went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Lemus went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Bullock went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman Alexis Carmichael (Allen, Texas/Allen) earned the win in 1 1/3 innings of shutout innings.
LIU Post was led by Julia Seader who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Olshevski took the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, May 4th in the ECC Championship at Smith Field at a time to be announced.
