FLORENCE, S.C. (Feb. 16, 2019) – Powered by a team-high four RBI on the day from senior Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal), the Mercy College softball team earned a, 13-11, win over Emmanuel College (Ga.) before falling, 11-3, to host Francis Marion University on Saturday night at FMU Softball Stadium.
The Mavericks (2-2) earn a split for the second straight day, while the Lions (5-5) beat Chowan earlier in the day and the Patriots (8-3) sweep the season series with Mercy.
Game 1: Mercy 13, Emmanuel 11
The Mavericks broke through with the game's first run in the top of the first when senior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College) scored on a throwing error by the catcher after leading the game off with a single. The Lions answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead.
Mercy quickly answered with two more runs in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) doubled home junior Breanna Wheeler (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta) and senior Emma Gilaga (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) after both recorded singles earlier in the inning. Emmanuel returned in the bottom of the second with three runs to retake the lead at 5-3 after two innings of play.
The Mavericks continued to swing hot bats and plated six more runs in the third inning to take a 9-5 lead. Sophomore Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) brought home the first run on a single to left field that scored Stevens who singled to lead off the inning. Freshman Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) scored the second run of the inning following an error by the catcher to make it 5-5. Wheeler made it 6-5 when she reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop that scored junior Erica Handegard (Reno, Nev./Earl Wooster). Junior Erika Byrne (San Diego, Calif./San Diego Mesa College) later made it 7-5 when she singled down the left field line and brought home Wheeler. Stevens capped off the scoring in the inning with a two-run single to right center that scored Mueller and Newham.
The Lions did not go away and had a six-run inning of their own in the bottom of the fourth to build an 11-9 lead. The Mavericks came right back in the top of the fifth with two runs to tie the game up at 11-11. Bowman drove home the first run of the inning with a single down the left field line that scored Mueller. Senior Raina Gorman (Ardsley, N.Y./Florida Southwestern State College) tied the game up later in the inning when she allowed Byrne to score on a single to center field.
After a 1-2-3 inning from freshman Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont), Mercy took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 13-11 lead. Stevens gave the Mavericks the lead when she singled home Newham who led off the inning by reaching on an error. Bowman concluded the scoring with a single to center that brought home Mueller to give Mercy an insurance run.
Shephard tossed two more scoreless innings to give Mercy their second win of the season.
Stevens went 4-for-6 with three RBI and Mueller went 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI. Bowman went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Byrne went 4-for-6 with a run and an RBI. Newham went 2-for-5 with three runs and Akers, Gorman and Wheeler all recorded one hit and had an RBI. Senior Yazzy Jameson (San Diego, Calif./Southwestern CC) went the first 3.2 innings before giving way to Shephard who struck out six in the final 3.1 innings to secure her first collegiate win.
Emmanuel was led by Caitlin Parks who went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a home run. Madison Abell pitched the final two innings to take the loss in the circle.
Game 2: Francis Marion 11, Mercy 3
Francis Marion opened the scoring with seven runs in the bottom of the first and two runs in the second inning to take a 9-0 lead after two innings of play. Mercy got on the board in the top of the third when Stevens scored on an error by the first baseman after reaching base on a walk earlier in the inning.
The Mavericks tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth to make it 9-3. Byrne drove in the first run of the inning with a double to left field that scored Newham who reached on a fielder's choice. Stevens recorded her fourth RBI of the day in the next at bat with a single up the middle that plated Mueller to bring the score to 9-3.
Francis Marion scored two more runs in the fifth inning to win the game via the run rule.
Stevens went 1-for-1 with an RBI and Byrne went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Senior Marisa Miano (Las Vegas, Nev./Colorado Mesa University) and junior Jessica Lombardi (Cliffside Park, N.J./Cliffside Park) both went 2-for-3 and junior Alexis Carmichael (Allen, Texas/Allen) went 0.1 innings with zero earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Francis Marion was led by Karson Parker who went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Katelyn Ellard tossed a complete game to earn the win.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, March 3rd when they face Stonehill College at 3:45 p.m. in Minneola, Florida.
