SPARKILL, N.Y. (Apr. 14, 2021) – Despite a team-high two RBI from junior Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) in game one, the Mercy College softball team dropped 5-4 and 10-0 decisions to ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Wednesday afternoon at Spartan Field.
The Mavericks (8-6, 7-3 ECC) see their three-game winning streak come to an end, while the Spartans (10-2, 4-0 ECC) have won eight games in a row.
Game 1: STAC 5, Mercy 4
The Spartans scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first following a Mercy error to take a 1-0 lead.
STAC added on a run in the bottom of the second to make it 2-0. Mercy got a run back in the top of the third to make it 2-1. Junior Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) walked to lead off the inning and later advanced to second following a groundout. Senior Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) singled to move Ricci to third before Ricci scored on a wild pitch for the Mavericks first run.
The Spartans scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Mercy answered in the top of the fifth with three runs to tie the game at 4-4. Senior Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) led off the inning with a walk and junior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) singled to put runners on first and second. Mueller then singled on a bunt to load the bases. Senior Danielle Burgos (Calexico, Calif./Arizona Western College) then recorded an RBI single to right field that scored Akers to make it 4-2. Following a walk, Bowman hit a two-run double to left center that scored Burgos and Mueller to tie the game at 4-4.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth when the Spartans hit a home run to take a 5-4 lead. Freshman Alexandra Karavias (Westbury, N.Y./WT Clarke) doubled in the top of the seventh but the tying run was left stranded at second, giving the Spartans the win.
Bowman went 1-for-4 with two RBI and Burgos went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Mueller went 3-for-4 and Crawford went 2-for-4. Karavias went 1-for-2 and junior Catherine Zucker (North Babylon, N.Y./St. Joseph's LI) pitched the final 2.2 innings with one run allowed to take the loss. Sophomore Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched the first 3.1 innings with one earned run allowed with five strikeouts to take a no-decision.
The Spartans were led by Carissa Della Vecchia who tossed a complete game in the circle and went 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.
Game 2: STAC 10, Mercy 0 (5 Innings)
After a scoreless first inning, STAC scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 lead. Della Vecchia had the biggest blow with a two-run double.
The Spartans tacked on seven runs on five hits and two Mercy errors in the bottom of the third to take a 10-0 lead.
Bowman singled in the fourth and advanced to second on a wild pitch but was left stranded. The Mavericks went down in order in the fifth and the Spartans earned the game two win via the run-rule.
Burgos, sophomore Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) and Bowman all went 1-for-2. Crawford went 1-for-3 and senior Jessica Becchetti (Eastchester, N.Y./Ramapo College) pitched 2.2 innings with seven earned runs allowed to take the loss. Junior Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont) pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
STAC was led by Melissa Sadler who went 1-for-3 with three RBI. Paige Toothaker pitched five scoreless innings to earn the win.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, April 16th when they play at D'Youville at 12:30 p.m.
