OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Apr. 13, 2019) – Despite a home run from junior Luis Grullart (New York, N.Y./Delaware State University) in game one, the Mercy College baseball team dropped 8-3 and 5-1 decisions to ECC foe RV NYIT on Saturday afternoon at Angelo Lorenzo Field.
The Mavericks (13-22, 5-10 ECC) have dropped three of their last four games, while the Bears (22-7, 12-3 ECC) snap a two-game losing streak.
Game 1: NYIT 8, Mercy 3
After two scoreless innings to start the game, NYIT took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third following a John LaRocca two-run home run.
The Mavericks gained a run back in the top of the fourth to make it 2-1. Junior John Mooradian (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) led off the inning with a single and moved to second after an Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) walk. Mooradian then stole third before scoring on a double play.
Mercy continued to battle and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth. Murphy reached on an error by the third baseman and Grullart homered in the next at bat to give the Mavericks the lead.
NYIT took the lead back in the bottom of the inning with three runs on four hits to build a 5-3 lead. The Bears tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning to make it 8-3 and the Mavericks would be held off the scoreboard for the final three innings.
Grullart went 1-for-4 with two RBI and senior Adonis Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College), freshman James Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) and sophomore Nicholas Pellegrino (Garden City Park, N.Y./Concordia College) went 1-for-3. Junior James Jakuba (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Central Connecticut State University) pitched 5.2 innings with five runs allowed to take the loss.
NYIT was led by LaRocca who went 4-for-5 with three RBI. DJ Masuck pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Game 2: NYIT 5, Mercy 1
NYIT jumped out a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Jake Lebel RBI single. Mercy tied the game up at 1-1 in the top of the third when freshman Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) walked and later scored on a Mooradian sacrifice fly to center field.
The Bears came back with two runs in the bottom of the third on an EJ Cumbo home run which made it 3-1.
NYIT scored two more runs in the fifth inning to build a 5-1 lead and the Mavericks could not score again to give the Bears the sweep.
Senior Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) and Grullart both went 2-for-3 and senior Kevin Tise (New York, N.Y./University of Hartford) pitched 5.0 innings with five runs allowed to take the loss.
NYIT was led by Cumbo who went 2-for-2 with three RBI. Joseph Murphy pitched six innings to earn the win.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host NYIT at 12 p.m.
