DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 11, 2021) – Powered by seven shutout innings from sophomore Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains), the Mercy College baseball team opened its 2021 season with a 3-0 victory over Bloomfield College on Thursday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (1-0) win their season opener for the first time since 2018 and win their third straight home opener, while the Bears (0-1) open their season with a loss.
Burgio pitched a career-high seven innings with just two hits allowed and a career-high seven strikeouts to earn his first collegiate win. Freshman Luis Ruiz (Weehawken, N.J./High Tech) pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to earn his first save in his collegiate debut. Juniors Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) and Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Pierce University) both went 2-for-4 with an RBI and junior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) went 1-for-3. Graduate student Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) went 1-for-4 and graduate student Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill), senior Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC) and sophomore Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) all scored runs.
Bloomfield was led by Christopher Morillo, Elvis Lopez and Justin Sanchez who all had a hit. Christian Camilo made the start on the mound and pitched four innings to take the loss.
Mercy was playing their first game in over a year due to COVID-19 and was held scoreless in the first inning before scoring in the second inning. Glennerster walked following a groundout and advanced to second on a passed ball. After a strikeout made it two outs in the inning, Liguori stepped up and doubled to center field, allowing Glennerster to score from second base to make it 1-0. A strikeout looking ended the threat and kept Mercy up 1-0 after two innings.
It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the third when the Mavericks plated another run to make it 2-0. A groundout started the inning before sophomore Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) and Murphy walked to put runners on first and second. Ortiz Sanchez then reached on a fielder's choice with Giblin forced out at third, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Lebron then singled to left field to bring home Murphy, giving the junior his first RBI as a Maverick. Mercy was held to just one run after a popup ended the inning.
Burgio continued to deal and would allow only a hit in the third and fourth innings. During his final three innings he retired the Bears in order in each of the frames.
Mercy tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning when Wootten led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0.
Ruiz came in and shut the Bears down in the 8th and 9th innings to help finish off the win for the Mavericks.
Mercy had six hits and no errors and Bloomfield finished with just three hits and no errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, March 14th when they host Adelphi at 1 p.m.
