DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 8, 2020) – Powered by a team-high five RBI on the day from graduate student Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College), the Mercy College baseball team earned a 14-6 win over College of Staten Island in game one before falling 5-3 in the nightcap on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (3-9) see their two-game winning streak come to an end with the game two loss, while the Dolphins (5-3) snap a three-game losing streak.
Game 1: Mercy 14, Staten Island 6
After a scoreless top of the first, Mercy scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Ortiz Sanchez singled home graduate student Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) for the first run of the game. Sophomore James Mattutat (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) later doubled in the inning to bring home Ortiz Sanchez for the final run of the inning.
Staten Island got a run back in the top of the second to make it 2-1. Mercy plated a run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead. Junior Francisco Paulino (Haina San Cristobal, D.R./Monroe College) doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) double.
The Dolphins made it 3-2 after scoring a run in the top of the third. The Mavericks answered back with four runs in the bottom of the inning to build a 7-2 lead. Ortiz Sanchez led off the inning with a single and scored on a steal of home for the first run of the inning. Freshman Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) brought home the second run of the inning with a double down the right field line. Paulino then delivered a two-run home run to left field to make it 7-2 after three innings.
Mercy tacked on a run in the fourth inning to make it 8-2 after senior John Mooradian (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) singled and later scored on an Ortiz Sanchez sacrifice fly to right field.
The Mavericks added four more runs in the fifth inning to bring the score to 12-2. Mooradian delivered a two-run double to start the scoring and Murphy recorded a sacrifice fly to make it 11-2. Ortiz Sanchez then doubled down the left field line to score Mooradian for the final run of the inning.
Staten Island scored three runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh to make it 12-6. Mercy scored two more runs in the seventh inning to build a 14-6 lead they would not relinquish. Murphy hit an inside-the-park home run to center field and senior Kevin Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) recorded an RBI triple to right center for the final runs of the day.
Ortiz Sanchez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs and Paulino went 2-for-2 with two RBI. Murphy went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Mooradian went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Liguori went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Mattutat went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Glennerster went 1-for-4 with an RBI and junior Jack Kelly (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) pitched 6.0 innings with five runs allowed to pick up the win.
Staten Island was led by Michael Ciancio who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. John Esposito pitched 4.0 innings with seven earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Game 2: Staten Island 5, Mercy 3
Mercy scored first in game two to take a 1-0 lead after one inning of play. Mooradian doubled down the left field line and later scored on an infield single from Ortiz Sanchez.
The Dolphins scored two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Staten Island added on a run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh to build a 5-1 lead heading into the Mavericks final at bat.
Junior Paul Cozzolino (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) led off the seventh inning with a double and would score on a Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) RBI single to right field to make it 5-2. Ortiz Sanchez later brought home Saltzman with a bases-loaded walk to get Mercy within two, 5-3. However, the rally would end with a fielder's choice to third base, giving the Dolphins the win.
Ortiz Sanchez went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Saltzman went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Mooradian went 2-for-4 with a run and Cozzolino went 1-for-2. Senior James Jakuba (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Central Connecticut State University) pitched 5.1 innings with three runs allowed to take the loss.
Staten Island was led by Domenick Castiglione who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and recorded the final out to earn the save. Kevin Ryan pitched 6.2 innings with three runs allowed to pick up the win.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, March 10th when they host Southern Connecticut State at 3 p.m.
