DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 28, 2019) – Powered by a team-high four RBI on the day from senior Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College), the Mercy College baseball team earned 11-2 and 12-1 victories over ECC foe Lincoln University on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (21-23-1, 13-11 ECC) have won six games in a row and the 13 ECC wins are tied for the most in program history. Mercy has also won 20 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. Lincoln (1-36, 0-24 ECC) remains winless in ECC play.
Game 1: Mercy 11, Lincoln 2
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy took a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Ortiz Sanchez doubled to lead off the inning and was brought home on an Adonis Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) double to make it 1-0. The Mavericks tacked on three unearned runs to build a 4-0 advantage.
It remained 4-0 until the top of the fifth when Lincoln scored two runs to make it 4-2. Mercy answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase the lead to 7-2. Ortiz Sanchez drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly and junior Luis Grullart (New York, N.Y./Delaware State University) also recorded a sacrifice fly. Garcia later scored on a passed ball for the final run of the inning.
The Mavericks scored two more runs in the sixth to take a 9-2 lead. Senior Nicolas Hagerty (New York, N.Y./Westchester CC) doubled and junior John Mooradian (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) later walked before senior Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) brought both home on a double to right field.
Mercy concluded their scoring in the eighth inning when freshman James Mattutat (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) hit a two-run triple that scored Garcia and Ortiz Sanchez to make it 11-2. The Mavericks did not surrender any runs in the ninth, giving Mercy the game one win.
Murphy went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Ortiz Sanchez went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Garcia went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Mattutat went 1-for-1 with two RBI. Sophomore Jack Kelly (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) pitched 6.0 innings to earn the win and junior Matteo Finocchi (Staatsburg, N.Y./FDR) and senior Fernando Figueroa (Bayamon, P.R./Monroe College) pitched a combined three perfect innings in relief.
Lincoln was led by Sheldon Johnson who went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Marcos Castillo went 5.2 innings to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 12, Lincoln 1
Mercy scored first with three runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Junior Rafael Perez (Yonkers, N.Y./Corning CC) recorded an RBI single and Mattutat scored on an error to make it 2-0. Freshman Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) brought in the final run on a groundout to shortstop.
The Mavericks built the lead to 4-0 in the third inning when Garcia recorded an RBI groundout after Murphy and Ortiz Sanchez singled earlier in the inning.
Lincoln scored their lone run of the game in the fifth inning on a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-1. Mercy answered in the bottom of the inning with eight runs to take a 12-1 lead. Ortiz Sanchez drove in the first run on a groundout and Garcia hit an RBI single for the second run of the frame. Perez brought in two more runs on a single up the middle and Mooradian drew a bases-loaded walk to plate another. Murphy then singled to right field to score another run and Ortiz Sanchez delivered a two-run single to center field to cap the scoring.
Mercy held the Lions scoreless for the final two innings to secure the sweep.
Ortiz Sanchez went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Perez went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Mattutat went 2-for-4 and Murphy went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Garcia went 1-for-2 with two RBI and Saltzman went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Grullart pitched 4.2 innings with one run allowed to pick up the win. The combination of Finocchi, sophomore Manuel Sanchez (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) and junior Andrew Hernandez (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. John's University) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to preserve the win.
Lincoln was led by Malcolm Smith who had an RBI. Rolando Alvarez pitched 4.2 innings to take the loss.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, May 3rd when they play at Molloy at 3 p.m.
