CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 6, 2019) – Despite four different Mavericks recording an RBI on the day, the Mercy College softball team dropped an 8-5 decision to West Virginia Wesleyan College and a 10-0 decision to Wilmington University on Wednesday morning in Florida.
The Mavericks (6-4) see their four-game winning streak come to an end, while the Bobcats (5-6) and Wildcats (3-4) both move to within a game of .500.
Game 1: WV Wesleyan 8, Mercy 5
Mercy struck first in the bottom of the first with two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Senior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College) singled and sophomore Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) reached on a hit by pitch. A single from senior Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal) loaded the bases before freshman Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) hit a two-run double that scored Newham and Mueller to give Mercy the early lead.
The Bobcats tied the game up in the top of the second with two runs on four hits. West Virginia Wesleyan took their first lead of the game in the top of the third on a Megan Magsam RBI single that made it 3-2.
It remained 3-2-until the top of the fifth when the Bobcats added on three more runs to build a 6-2 lead. The Bobcats used three hits and a Mercy error to give themselves a four-run lead. West Virginia Wesleyan scored their final two runs of the game in the top of the sixth. A two-run single from Kiley Turner increased the Bobcat lead.
Mercy did not go down quietly, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-5. Junior Breanna Wheeler (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta) brought home the first run on a single that scored Mueller who singled to lead off the inning. Senior Raina Gorman (Ardsley, N.Y./Florida Southwestern State College) drove in the second run on an RBI single that plated freshman Alexis Crawford to make it 8-4. Senior Marisa Miano (Las Vegas, Nev./Colorado Mesa University) brought home the final run of the game on a groundout, but a fly out would end the threat and game.
Bowman went 1-for-2 with two RBI and Gorman went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Newham went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Miano went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Wheeler went 1-for-1 with an RBI and Mueller went 1-for-3 with two runs. Senior Yazzy Jameson (San Diego, Calif./Southwestern CC) went the first 4.1 innings with four earned runs allowed to take the loss.
The Bobcats were led by Megan Magsamen who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Hannah Hudson tossed a complete game to earn the win.
Game 2: Wilmington 10, Mercy 0
Mercy could not get their bats going in the second game of the day, recording just four hits in five innings. After a scoreless first inning, the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
Wilmington exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third on five hits and a Mercy error to take a commanding 7-0 lead after three innings.
The Wildcats tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. Mercy loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth but could not plate a run.
Senior Erica Handegard (Reno, Nev./Earl Wooster) went 1-for-2 and freshman Jessica Brandt (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) went 1-for-2. Sophomore Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) went 1-for-1 and freshman Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) also recorded a hit. Stevens went 2.1 innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Wilmington was led by Angela Antonini who went 2-for-2 with three RBI. Caitlyn Whiteside pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, March 8th when they play Indiana (Pa.) and Merrimack starting at 11:15 a.m.
