DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 26, 2018) – Powered by a home run and a team-high five RBI on the day from senior Allie Pellizzaro (Victoria, British Columbia/Eastern Arizona CC) and a shutout from junior Raina Gorman (Ardsley, N.Y./Florida Southwestern State College) in game one, the Mercy College softball team secured their second straight ECC Tournament berth with 11-0 and 7-3 victories over NYIT on Thursday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (27-14, 13-9 ECC) are currently tied with Molloy for second place in the ECC standings with the Lions holding the tiebreaker. Mercy plays their final ECC doubleheader on Saturday at Bridgeport and Molloy play at St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday in their final ECC doubleheader. The top two seeds in the ECC Tournament will host a semifinal game on Wednesday, May 2nd. The Bears (10-24, 8-14 ECC) are eliminated from ECC Tournament contention with the losses.
Game 1: Mercy 11, NYIT 0
The opening game of the day saw the Mavericks jump out to a 3-0 lead when Pellizzaro tripled down the left field line to bring home freshman Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) and junior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College) to make it 2-0. Senior Baylee McCormick (Las Vegas, Nev./Indian Springs) followed with a single to center field that scored Pellizzaro to bring the score to 3-0.
After Gorman tossed a scoreless second inning, the Mavericks exploded for six runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-0 lead. Newham started the scoring with a two-run double to left field that made it 5-0. Pellizzaro brought home another run on a single to left center that increased the score to 6-0. Senior Cassidy Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Monroe College) made it 7-0 with a sacrifice fly to right field and Pellizzaro later stole home to build the Mavericks an 8-0 advantage. Sophomore Destini Bullock (San Diego, Calif./Helix) brought home the final run of the inning on a double down the right field line.
Mercy tacked on another run in the third inning when senior Skania Lemus (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwestern CC) doubled home Mueller to make it 10-0. The Mavericks made it 11-0 in the fourth inning when Newham singled home Bullock.
Gorman would allow just two hits on the day to pick up her tenth win of the season.
Newham went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs and Pellizzaro went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. McCormick went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Bullock went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Junior Mackenzie Dunlop (Surrey, British Columbia/West Virginia State University) went 2-for-3 and Lemus went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Brooke Scherer went 2-for-2 to lead NYIT and Sofia Evangelista went 1.0 inning with six runs allowed to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 7, NYIT 3
The nightcap saw the Mavericks jump out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Wootten drove in Pellizzaro on a sacrifice fly. Mercy added a run in the third inning when Mueller singled up the middle to plate Newham, making 2-0.
NYIT made it 2-2 with two runs in the fourth before the Mavericks answered with five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good at 7-2. Newham brought home the first run on an RBI single to left field and later scored on a passed ball. Lemus doubled to left field to score Mueller to make it 5-2. Pellizzaro capped off the scoring with a two-run home run to left field.
The Bears scored a run in the sixth to make it 7-3 but could not get any closer as the Mavericks held on for the win.
Pellizzaro went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Mueller went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Newham went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs and Lemus went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Morgan Lloyd (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) went 2-for-3 and sophomore Alexis Carmichael (Allen, Texas/Allen) pitched 3.0 innings of relief to pick up her third win of the year.
Kylie Lacerte went 2-for-2 with an RBI for NYIT and Ashley Russo went the distance with six earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, April 28th when they play at Bridgeport at 12 p.m.
