PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 20, 2018) – Led by a team-high seven RBI on the day from senior Cassidy Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Monroe College), the Mercy College softball team earned 14-3 and 9-2 victories over Pace University on Tuesday afternoon at Pace Field.
The Mavericks (9-4) have won six of their last seven games, while the Setters (1-7) have dropped six games in a row.
Game 1: Mercy 14, Pace 3
Mercy exploded for 14 runs on 16 hits in just five innings of play, earning the win via the run-rule. Senior Skania Lemus (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwestern CC) started the scoring with an RBI single to right field that scored junior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College). Wootten followed with another RBI single to make it 2-0 and Lemus later scored on an error to finish off the scoring in the inning.
It remained 3-0 until the top of the fourth when the Mavericks scored three more runs to take a 6-0 lead. Sophomore Destini Bullock (San Diego, Calif./Helix) recorded a two-run single and Newham also scored in the inning to give Mercy some insurance runs. Pace got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-1 after four innings.
The Mavericks exploded for eight runs in the top of the fifth to build a 14-1 lead. Newham started the scoring with an RBI single and Lemus later singled to bring in two more runs. Wootten drove in another two runs with a double down the left field line and senior Allie Pellizzaro (Victoria, British Columbia/Eastern Arizona CC) also doubled to bring home a run. Senior Baylee McCormick (Las Vegas, Nev./Indian Springs) brought home the final Mercy run with a sacrifice to right field. Pace scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth but the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Mavericks came away with the game one win.
Wootten batted 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs and Lemus batted 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs. Pellizzaro went 4-for-4 with an RBI and Bullock batted 1-for-4 with two RBI. McCormick went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Newham went 2-for-2 with three runs and an RBI. Junior Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal) went the distance with three earned runs allowed to pick up her fourth win of the season. The junior also went 1-for-3 with a run scored at the plate.
Pace was led by Larissa Labs who went 3-for-3 with a run scored. MacKenzie Garrick made the start in the circle and went 4 1/3 innings with 11 earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 9, Pace 2
The nightcap saw the Setters jump out to a 2-0 lead after two innings of play. Mercy cut the deficit in half in the top of the third with a Wootten sacrifice fly driving in freshman Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista).
The Mavericks trailed 2-1 heading to the top of the fifth when they once again put up eight runs in an inning to take a 9-2 lead. Junior Yazzy Jameson (San Diego, Calif./Southwestern CC) brought home the first run of the inning with a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. Senior Morgan Lloyd (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run, giving Mercy the lead. Junior Mackenzie Dunlop (Surrey, British Columbia/West Virginia State University) drove in a run to make it 4-2 and Newham and Mueller followed with back-to-back RBI singles to put the Mavericks up 6-2. Wootten later delivered the biggest blow of the inning with a three-run triple to right field that made it 9-2.
Junior Raina Gorman (Ardsley, N.Y./Florida Southwestern State College) held the Setters off the board in the bottom of the fifth and the Mavericks earned the win after the game was called due to darkness.
Wootten went 1-for-2 with four RBI and Pellizzaro went 2-for-2 with a run scored. Newham batted 1-for-4 with an RBI and Mueller batted 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Dunlop went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Lemus went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Jameson tossed four innings with two earned runs allowed to pick up her second win of the year.
Pace was led by Labs who went 2-for-3 and Jaclyn Flores pitched 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, March 22nd when they host Bloomfield at 2:30 p.m.
