ALBANY, N.Y. (Apr. 17, 2019) – Powered by a game-high three RBI in game two from senior Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal), the Mercy College softball team dropped a 6-1 decision to The College of Saint Rose before earning an 8-4 victory in the nightcap on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mavericks (21-23) snap a five-game losing streak with the game two win, while the Golden Knights (12-19) snap a seven-game losing streak with the game one win.
Game 1: Saint Rose 6, Mercy 1
Saint Rose jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on three hits and a Mercy error.
The Mavericks battled back in the top of the third with a run to make it 3-1. Sophomore Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) reached on an error by the third baseman and senior Mikayla Newham (Redding, Calif./Yavapai College) singled to put runners on first and second. Freshman Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) then recorded an RBI single that scored Akers.
The Golden Knights answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to build a 5-1 lead and increased the lead to 6-1 with a run in the sixth inning. Mercy would not score after the third inning and were held to just five hits in taking the game one loss.
Crawford went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Newham went 2-for-2. Freshman Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont) pitched a complete game with four earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Saint Rose was led by Kylee Warner who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and pitched 5.2 innings to earn the win.
Game 2: Mercy 8, Saint Rose 4
The Mavericks got on the board first in the second game with three runs in the top of the first on two hits and a Saint Rose error. Newham singled and Akers reached on an error that allowed Newham to score from first. Stevens later brought home Akers on a fielder's choice to make it 2-0. Junior Alexis Carmichael (Allen, Texas/Allen) brought home the final run of the inning on an RBI single, which made it 3-0.
The Golden Knights tied the game up at 3-3 in the bottom of the first. After a scoreless second inning, Mercy scored three more runs to take a 6-3 lead. Sophomore Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) singled and moved to second after a sacrifice. Junior Erica Handegard (Reno, Nev./Earl Wooster) then singled to put runners on first and third. Mueller then stole home and Handegard stole second to give Mercy a 4-3 lead. Freshman Jessica Brandt (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) drove in the second run of the inning with an RBI single that scored Handegard to make it 5-3. Freshman Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) produced the final run of the inning when she singled in junior Erika Byrne (San Diego, Calif./San Diego Mesa College) to give the Mavericks a three-run lead.
It remained 6-3 until the top of the sixth when Stevens delivered a two-run single that gave Mercy an 8-3 lead. Saint Rose scored one run in the bottom of the seventh, but freshman Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) got a strikeout and groundout to end the game.
Stevens went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Brandt went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ricci went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Carmichael went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Mueller and Newham both went 2-for-3 with two runs and Gonzalez tossed a complete game with four runs allowed to pick up her second win.
Saint Rose was led by Ryane Brush who went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Samantha Allen pitched 3.1 innings to take the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Monday, April 22nd when they host Bridgeport at 2:30 p.m.
