LYNDHURST, N.J. (Mar. 25, 2019) – Powered by five RBI in game one from junior Erica Handegard (Las Vegas, Nev./Earl Wooster) and a walk-off RBI single for her 100th career hit in game two from senior Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal), the Mercy College softball team earned 13-3 and 5-4 wins over Felician University on Monday afternoon at Lyndhurst Recreation.
The Mavericks (11-7) snap a two-game losing streak, while the Golden Falcons (7-16) have dropped four games in a row.
Game 1: Mercy 13, Felician 3
Felician scored the first three runs of the game in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Mercy answered in the bottom of the first when Handegard hit a grand slam that scored freshman Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral), Stevens and sophomore Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) to make it 4-3.
It remained 4-3 until the third inning when Mercy scored two more runs to take a 6-3 lead. Freshman Jessica Brandt (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) hit a double to right center that scored Handegard and senior Marisa Miano (Las Vegas, Nev./Colorado Mesa University) hit an RBI single to center field that scored Brandt.
Mercy exploded for seven more runs in the fourth inning to take a 13-3 lead. Freshman Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) scored the first run of the inning on a double steal and Stevens brought in the second run on an RBI single to make it 8-3. Handegard made it 9-3 with a sacrifice fly to right field and freshman Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Caif./Cosumnes Oaks) made it 10-3 with a single up the middle that scored Bowman. Crawford and junior Erika Byrne (San Diego, Calif./San Diego Mesa College) drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to give Mercy a 12-3 lead and Stevens drove in another run with a single to center field to finish off the scoring.
Senior Raina Gorman (Ardsley, N.Y./Florida Southwestern State College) pitched a scoreless fifth inning and did not surrender a run after the first inning to give Mercy the game one win.
Handegard went 2-for-2 with five RBI and Stevens went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Miano went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Brandt went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Byrne went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Ricci went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Bowman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Gorman pitched a complete game with two earned runs allowed to pick up the win.
Felician was led by Steph Donah who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Martarina Crumb pitched three innings to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 5, Felician 4
Mercy struck first in the third inning when Mueller drove in Ricci on a groundout to second to make it 1-0. Felician scored a run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead.
The Mavericks regrouped and took the lead back in the fifth inning with three runs. Mueller delivered a two-run triple to right field that scored senior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College) and Ricci to tie the game up at 3-3. Byrne followed with a single to left field to score Mueller, giving Mercy a 4-3 lead.
The Golden Falcons tied the game up in the sixth inning on a Krystina Lorch RBI double. The game remained tied heading to the bottom of the seventh and extra innings looked like a possibility. Newham started the inning with a hit by pitch and moved to second after a Mueller walk. After a foul out to first base, Stevens delivered her 100th career hit to right field and Newham came around to score after beating the tag at home plate to give Mercy the walk-off win.
Mueller went 1-for-3 with three RBI and Stevens went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Byrne went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Ricci went 2-for-2. Freshman Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) pitched four innings with one earned run allowed to take a no-decision. Freshman Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont) pitched the final 2.2 innings to pick up her fifth win of the year.
Felician was led by Bella Bradian who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Trinity Garcia tossed a complete game to take the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host LIU Post at 2 p.m.
