MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 24, 2018) – Despite a team-high four RBI on the day from freshman Kuzari Jocelyn (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln), the Mercy College baseball team dropped a 12-5 decision to No. 15 Southern New Hampshire University and a 14-8 decision to Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday afternoon.

The Mavericks (3-5) have dropped four games in a row, while the Penmen (4-0) and Owls (2-0) remain unbeaten on the year.

Game 1: Southern N.H. 12, Mercy 5

The Penmen jumped on the board first with an RBI groundout in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth when Southern New Hampshire scored three runs on three hits to build a 4-0 lead. Phoenix Hernandez hit a two-run home run in the inning and Caleb Potter recorded a solo shot to make up the scoring.

Mercy scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-3 as Jocelyn hit a three-run home run and Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) singled and Shaine Carpenter (Florham Park, N.J./Saint Anselm College) doubled.

The Penmen plated three more runs in the fifth and the sixth innings to take a 10-3 lead after six innings. Southern New Hampshire increased the lead to 11-3 with a run in the seventh. Junior Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) and Murphy recorded a RBI singles in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score to 11-5. Ryan Sullivan homered in the eighth inning to conclude the scoring on the day.

Jocelyn went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Ortiz Sanchez went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Murphy went 2-for-4 and junior Kevin Tise (New York, N.Y./University of Hartford) went five innings on the mound to take the loss.

Game 2: Southern Connecticut State 14, Mercy 8

The Owls opened the contest with a run in the bottom of the first before Mercy took the lead with two runs in the top of the second. Southern Connecticut came right back with five runs on five hits to retake the lead at 6-2.

The Mavericks gained a run back in the top of the third when junior Adonis Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) led off the inning with a home run. The Owls tacked on two more runs in the fourth to increase their lead to 8-3. However, Jocelyn drove in another run in the fifth to make it 8-4. Junior Josue Perez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) doubled home a pair of runs to get Mercy within 8-6.

The Owls responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to give themselves an 11-5 advantage. Southern Connecticut added two runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth to make it 14-6. Garcia homered again in the ninth and junior Alonso Tenya (Lima, Peru/Westchester CC) hit an RBI double to bring the Mavericks within 14-8, but Mercy could not get any closer.

Garcia went 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs and Tenya went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Freshman Noah Krzyzak (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) pitched the first 3 1/3 innings with four strikeouts to take the loss.

Mercy resumes action tomorrow when they play Merrimack at 9 a.m. in Myrtle Beach.