DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 14, 2021) – Powered by three Mavericks recording a home run and freshman Ryan Rozinski (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) pitching seven strong innings in his debut, the Mercy College baseball team earned a 12-3 win over RV Adelphi University on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks (2-0) start 2-0 for the first time since 2014 and defeat the Panthers (2-2) for the first time since 2011.
Junior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) went 3-for-4 with his first career home run, two runs and two RBI. Graduate student Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and an RBI and junior James Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBI. Junior Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Pierce University) went 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBI and senior Brandon Maravi (Tappan, N.Y./Sullivan CC) went 1-for-1 with two RBI. Senior Cain Ruiz (Valley Stream, N.Y./Cornerstone University) batted 2-for-3 with a run and senior Paul Cozzolino (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Francisco Paulino (Haina San Cristobal, Dominican Republic/Monroe College) hit 2-for-4 with a run and graduate student Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) went 1-for-4 with two runs. Rozinski pitched seven innings with no earned runs allowed with five strikeouts to earn his first win in his first career start. Freshman Gaetano Pennisi (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) pitched a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts.
Adelphi was led by Matt Alifano who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Tommy O'Sullivan pitched the first two innings and allowed two earned runs to take the loss.
After Rozinski retired the Panthers in order in the top of the first, the Mavericks bats went to work and plated two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Saltzman led off the inning with a single and advanced to second after Murphy was hit by a pitch. Ortiz Sanchez then walked to load the bases before Lebron hit a two-run single to left field that scored Murphy and Saltzman to make it 2-0 after one inning of play.
Mercy added on another run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-0. Dieguez led off the inning with a single and stole second before Ruiz walked to put runners on first and second. Saltzman then sacrificed Ruiz and Dieguez over to second and third. Dieguez would score on a passed ball later in the inning to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead.
Adelphi struck with two unearned runs in the top of the third to cut the Mercy lead to 3-2. The Mavericks responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-2 lead. Ortiz Sanchez led off the inning with a home run and Dieguez hit a two-run home run later in the inning following a Paulino double to give Mercy a four-run lead.
Rozinski shut the Panthers down again in the fourth inning and Mercy tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning to build an 8-2 lead. Lebron started the scoring with an RBI single that scored sophomore Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) to make it 7-2. Cozzolino then followed with an RBI single to left field, which made it 8-2 Mercy after four innings.
The score remained 8-2 heading to the bottom of the seventh when Saltzman hit a two-run home run to left field that scored Ruiz to give Mercy a 10-2 lead.
Adelphi scored a run in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch to make it 10-3. Mercy scored their final two runs in the bottom of the inning when Murphy singled and freshman Max Rank (Westwood, N.J./Westwood JR/SR) walked before being brought home by Maravi on a triple to right center to make it 12-3.
The Panthers loaded the bases in the top of the ninth against Pennisi with one out, but the freshman recorded two straight strikeouts to give Mercy the win.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, March 16th when they play at Caldwell at 3 p.m.
