DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 13, 2021) – Powered by a walk-off double from senior Danielle Burgos (Calexico, Calif./Arizona Western College) in game one and a walk-off home run from freshman Alexandra Karavias (Westbury, N.Y./WT Clarke) in game two, the Mercy College softball team earned 5-4 and 9-1 victories over Queens College on Tuesday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (8-4, 7-1 ECC) are to their best start since 2019 and their best ECC start since 2017 when they also started 7-1. Mercy has now won three games in a row and is 6-0 at home. The Knights (1-7, 1-7 ECC) have lost five straight games.
Game 1: Mercy 5, Queens 4
Queens opened the scoring in the top of the first with two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Mercy answered with a run in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1. Junior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) singled to lead off the inning and stole second. After a line out, Burgos singled to move Crawford to third. Burgos then stole second before sophomore Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) grounded out to second, allowing Crawford to score the first run for the Mavericks.
It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the third when the Mavericks plated two more runs to take a 3-2 lead. Crawford led off the inning with a single and senior Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Burgos then singled on a bunt and Crawford scored following a throwing error by the first baseman to make it 2-2. Mueller scored the final run of the inning following a Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) fielder's choice to give Mercy the lead.
Queens regained the lead in the top of the fifth with two runs on three hits to take a 4-3 lead. Mercy answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4. Franck singled and freshman Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) pinch ran for her. Harris would score following a Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption College) RBI single to center field to tie the game.
After junior Catherine Zucker (North Babylon, N.Y./St. Joseph's LI) tossed a scoreless top of the seventh, Mercy would score the winning run in the bottom half of the inning. Crawford led off the inning with a single and later stole second. Burgos then stepped up and delivered a walk-off RBI double to center field that scored Crawford for the winning run.
Crawford went 3-for-4 with three runs and Burgos went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Johnston went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Puglia went 1-for-1 with an RBI. Franck went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Mueller went 1-for-4 with a run. Junior Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) went 1-for-2 and sophomore Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched three innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts to earn a no-decision. Zucker pitched four innings of relief with one earned run allowed and four strikeouts to earn her second win of the year.
Queens was led by Noelle Bryggman who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Emma Wimmer pitched a complete game with four earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 9, Queens 1 (5 Innings)
After senior Jessica Becchetti (Eastchester, N.Y./Ramapo College) tossed a scoreless top of the first, the Mercy bats went to work in the bottom of the first. Mercy plated two runs on two hits and two Queens errors to take a 2-0 lead. After back-to-back groundouts to start the inning, Burgos reached on an error before Johnston hit an RBI double to center that scored Burgos for the first run of the inning. Senior Alyssa Guzman (Riverside, Calif./Mount San Antonio College) then singled to put runners on first and third. Guzman attempted to steal second and Johnston would score on a throwing error by the catcher for the second run.
Mercy plated two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-0 lead. Ricci and senior Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) singled to put runners on first and second. The duo then stole second and third before Crawford reached on an error by the third baseman which allowed Akers and Ricci to score making it 4-0.
Queens scored their lone run in the top of the third to make it 4-1.
It remained 4-1 heading to the bottom of the fourth when Mercy scored four more runs to take an 8-1 lead. Ricci walked and Akers reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Sophomore Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) pinch ran for Ricci and following a groundout both her and Akers moved to second and third. Mueller then hit a two-run single to right field making it 6-1. Burgos and Johnston brought in the final two runs of the inning on back-to-back triples, giving Mercy an 8-1 lead.
Becchetti pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning and Karavias delivered her first career home run on a 1-0 pitch to right center, which gave the Mavericks a 9-1 win via the run-rule.
Johnston went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Mueller went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Burgos went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs and Karavias went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Akers went 1-for-2 with two runs and Ricci went 1-for-1. Guzman went 1-for-3 and Becchetti pitched a complete game with just one run allowed and four hits with four strikeouts to earn her second win of the year.
Queens was led by Marisa Sagona who went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Arianna Fracchioni allowed two earned runs in four innings to take the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at St. Thomas Aquinas at 2:30 p.m.
