LAKEWOOD, N.J. (Mar. 27, 2021) – Despite a three-run home run in game two from sophomore Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra), the Mercy College softball team opened its 2021 season with 4-0 and 12-4 losses to Georgian Court University on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (0-2) fall in their first games in 391 days, while the Lions (7-1) have won seven games in a row.
Game 1: Georgian Court 4, Mercy 0
After a scoreless first inning, the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Carleigh Luzzo led off the inning with a home run to left field. Georgian Court later loaded the bases but senior Jessica Becchetti (Eastchester, N.Y./Ramapo College) induced a popup to second to end the inning.
Mercy put runners on first and second in the top of the third following a Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) walk and Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) single. However, a strikeout looking ended the inning and kept the score 1-0.
It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when the Lions scored two more runs on two hits and a Mercy error to make it 3-0.
Georgian Court added on an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to increase the lead to 4-0.
Senior Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) singled in the top of the sixth but was left stranded and Mercy went down in order in the top of the seventh to give the Lions the victory.
Akers and Crawford both went 1-for-3 and Becchetti went four inning with two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts to take the loss. Junior Catherine Zucker (North Babylon, N.Y./St. Joseph's College (LI) pitched two hitless innings of relief.
Georgian Court was led by Luzzo who went 1-for-2 with a home run. Samantha Fohrman pitched a complete game with just two hits allowed and 10 strikeouts to earn the win.
Game 2: Georgian Court 12, Mercy 4
After not scoring in game one, the Mavericks got off to a quick start in game two, scoring three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Crawford led off the game with a single and was sacrificed over to second by Akers. Senior Danielle Burgos (Calexico, Calif./Arizona Western College) walked and sophomore Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) pinch ran for her to put runners on first and second. Oquendo and Crawford then stole second and third before Franck hit a home run to right center to put the Mavericks up 3-0 after the top of the first.
The Lions stormed back with five runs on three hits and two Mercy errors in the bottom of the first to take a 5-3 lead after one inning of play.
Georgian Court tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second and one run in the bottom of the third to increase their lead to 9-3.
Mercy plated another run in the top of the fourth to make it 9-4. Sophomore Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a Smart RBI double to left center. A strikeout looking ended the inning with a runner on second.
The hosts added on a run in the bottom of the fourth and two runs in the bottom of the sixth to win via the run-rule.
Franck went 1-for-3 with her first career home run, three RBI and a run scored. Johnston went 2-for-2 with a run and Crawford went 1-for-3 with a run. Smart went 1-for-2 with an RBI and junior Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont) pitched 1.1 innings with five earned runs allowed to take the loss. Zucker pitched the final 4.1 innings with four runs allowed.
Georgian Court was led by Taylor Barraza who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs. Mikayla Gilgert pitched a complete game with four runs allowed to earn the win.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, March 30th when they host Molloy in their home opener at 2 p.m.
