DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 20, 2021) – Led by strong performances at the plate and in the circle by juniors Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) and Katelyn Shephard (Beaumont, Calif./Beaumont) and sophomore Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) in game two, the Mercy College softball earned a 6-5 win in game one in eight innings against ECC foe College of Staten Island before overcoming a 10-run deficit in game two to earn a 12-10 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (12-6, 11-3 ECC) have won four games in a row and are a perfect 8-0 at home, while the Dolphins (4-10, 4-10 ECC) drop the season series to Mercy. The 10-run deficit in game two is the largest deficit overcome in program history.
Game 1: Mercy 6, Staten Island 5 (8 Innings)
After a scoreless top of the first, Mercy scored a run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Junior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) singled and stole second before senior Hannah Mueller (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) singled to put runners on second and third. Senior Danielle Burgos (Calexico, Calif./Arizona Western College) then singled to bring home Crawford for the game's first run.
Mercy added on two more runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Alyssa Guzman (Riverside, Calif./Mount San Antonio College) doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third following a groundout. Crawford later walked to put runners on first and third. Both Guzman and Crawford scored on an attempted double steal with Crawford scoring from second following an error by the shortstop.
The Dolphins took the lead in the top of the third with four runs on a grand slam by Elizabeth Moore to make it 4-3. The score remained 4-3 until the top of the fourth when CSI scored a run on an Emily Koerick double to take a 5-3 lead.
The game remained 5-3 until the Mavericks last at bat and Mercy would need late game heroics to keep the game going. Senior Casey Akers (Keller, Texas/Timber Creek) led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Mueller singled to put runners on first and third. Freshman Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) pinch ran for Mueller and stole second, while Akers stole home to make it 5-4. Harris later advanced to third on a wild pitch and would later score the tying run on an attempted double steal with sophomore Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) being thrown out right after Harris scored the tying run.
After a scoreless top of the eighth, sophomore Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) tripled down the right field line and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Mavericks the 6-5 walk-off win.
Mueller went 2-for-4 and Burgos went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Crawford went 1-for-3 with two runs and Guzman, Akers and sophomore Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption College) went 1-for-2. Franck went 1-for-4 and sophomore Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched a complete game with six strikeouts to earn her fifth win of the season.
CSI was led by Moore who went 1-for-4 with four RBI and Koerick went 7.2 innings to take the loss.
Game 2: Mercy 12, Staten Island 10
The Dolphins scored two runs in the first, seven runs in the second and a run in the third to take a 10-0 lead. CSI looked to have the game in hand but the Mavericks would use late game heroics again to earn the win.
Mercy started the comeback in the third when Burgos singled and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-1.
The Mavericks continued the rally in the fourth inning with four runs to cut the deficit to 10-5. Franck singled and Puglia reached on an error before back-to-back fly outs made it two outs in the inning. Crawford then singled home Franck to make it 10-2. Smart followed with a double to left center that plated Puglia for the second run of the inning. Burgos brought in the final two runs on a single to right center.
Shephard continued to dominate the Dolphins in relief and pitched a scoreless fifth before Mercy scored another run in the fifth to make it 10-6. Bowman, Franck and Puglia singled to lead off the inning and Akers was hit by a pitch to bring home a run, making it 10-6.
Shephard recorded a scoreless sixth and Mercy went back to work in the bottom of the inning. Johnston was hit by a pitch and Bowman followed with a two-run home run to left field to make it 10-8. Puglia later singled and freshman Alexandra Karavias (Westbury, N.Y./WT Clarke) reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second. Akers then singled home Puglia to make it 10-9. Crawford later brought home the tying run on a single to second base to tie the game at 10-10. Crawford then stole second before Smart singled to left center, plating both Akers and Crawford to give Mercy the 12-10 lead.
Shephard pitched a scoreless seventh inning to give the Mavericks an improbable come-from-behind victory for the sweep.
Smart went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Burgos went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Bowman went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI and Akers went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Crawford went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs and Franck went 2-for-4. Puglia went 2-for-3 with two runs and Shephard pitched five scoreless innings of relief with nine strikeouts to earn her first win of the season.
CSI was led by Jaclyn Kateridge who went 1-for-4 with two runs. Nicole Rivera pitched six innings to take the loss.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, April 22nd when they play at Bridgeport at 2:30 p.m.
