MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 22, 2020) – Despite home runs from graduate students Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) and Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill), the Mercy College baseball team dropped 15-6 and 11-9 decisions to Franklin Pierce University on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (1-8) have dropped seven games in a row, while the Ravens (3-1) have won two straight games.
Game 1: Franklin Pierce 15, Mercy 6 (9 Innings)
Franklin Pierce scored first with one run on two hits and a Mercy error to take an early 1-0 lead. The Ravens tacked on two more runs in the second and third innings to take a 5-0 lead after three innings.
Mercy got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with four runs. Murphy got the scoring going with a solo home run and Ortiz Sanchez later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2. Sophomore Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) drove in two more runs with a single that made it 5-4.
The Ravens answered with three runs in the fifth inning to take an 8-4 lead. Franklin Pierce later scored two runs in the seventh, four runs in the eighth and a run in the ninth to build a 15-4 lead. Mercy scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on bases-loaded walks from senior John Mooradian (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) and Murphy, but it was not enough as Franklin Pierce came away with the win.
Murphy went 2-for-4 with two RBI and his third home run of the season. Liguori went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Sanchez went 1-for-3. Junior Paul Cozzolino (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) went 2-for-5 and junior Erick Miranda (Queens, N.Y./ASA College) pitched 4.2 innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Franklin Pierce was led by Joel Lara who went 4-for-5 with five RBI. Connor Sahlin pitched 7.0 innings with four runs allowed to pick up the win.
Game 2: Franklin Pierce 11, Mercy 9 (7 Innings)
Mercy opened the scoring in the top of the first with two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Mooradian doubled and was brought home by an Ortiz Sanchez home run. The Ravens put up three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
Franklin Pierce added a run in the bottom of the second to take a 4-2 lead. Mercy battled back with four runs in the third inning to take a 6-4 lead. Ortiz Sanchez recorded a two-run single and junior Corey Tingo (Selden, N.Y./Suffolk CC) delivered a two-run single to give the Mavericks the lead.
The Ravens regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning with five runs to build a 9-6 lead. Mercy inched closer with two runs in the fourth inning to make it 9-8. Ortiz Sanchez recorded another RBI single to bring home Mooradian who singled earlier in the inning. Mercy scored a run in the top of the fifth to tie the game up at 9-9.
Franklin Pierce took the lead back for good in the sixth inning when James Boria hit a two-run home run to give the Ravens an 11-9 lead. Mercy was held scoreless in the seventh inning to give the Ravens the win.
Ortiz Sanchez went 4-for-4 with five RBI and Mooradian went 3-for-4. Murphy went 2-for-5 and Tingo went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Freshman Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) pitched 2.0 innings with three earned runs allowed to take a no-decision. Senior Andrew Hernandez (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. John's University) allowed five runs in 4.0 innings to take the loss.
Franklin Pierce was led by James Boria who went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Hunter Reynolds pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, February 27th when they host Bloomfield at 3 p.m.
