DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 3, 2021) – Powered by a no-hitter in game two from junior Austin DeRosa (Seymour, Conn./Seymour), the Mercy College baseball team earned 20-4 and 6-0 victories over ECC foe D'Youville College on Saturday afternoon at Gowanda High School.
The Mavericks (6-3, 3-0 ECC) are off to their best start since 1985 when they started 7-2 and start 3-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2014. The Saints (2-9, 0-5 ECC) remain winless in ECC play. The no-hitter by DeRosa is the first in the ECC since Chris Cepeda tossed a no-hitter for St. Thomas Aquinas against Mercy on May 6, 2017. It is the first in Mercy history in over 20 years.
Game 1: Mercy 20, D'Youville 4
Mercy wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard, scoring three runs in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Graduate student Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) reached on an error and moved to second after an Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) single to right. After a groundout, senior Francisco Paulino (Haina San Cristobal, Dominican Republic/Monroe College) reached on an error to centerfield that allowed Murphy and Ortiz Sanchez to score making it 2-0. Sophomore Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) then singled home Paulino for the final run of the inning.
The Mavericks added on three more runs in the top of the second to take a 6-0 lead. Junior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) walked and sophomore Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) followed with a triple that scored Liguori to make it 4-0. Following a groundout, Murphy singled to center, scoring Giblin to make it 5-0. Paulino brought in the final run of the frame with a single to center, which made it 6-0.
After freshman Ryan Rozinski (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) tossed another scoreless inning, the Mavericks tacked on four more runs in the top of the third to take a 10-0 lead. Junior James Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. Ortiz Sanchez plated the second run of the inning with a groundout to first and Murphy delivered a two-run home run to right field which capped off the scoring in the inning.
A two-run fifth inning gave the Mavericks a 12-0 lead. Liguori and Giblin recorded back-to-back doubles to put runners on second and third. Ortiz Sanchez and Murphy followed with back-to-back RBI singles to give the Mavericks a 12-0 lead. D'Youville scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 12-2.
Mercy made it 15-2 in the sixth inning following three runs. Senior Cain Ruiz (Valley Stream, N.Y./Cornerstone University) and freshman Max Rank (Westwood, N.J./Westwood Jr/Sr) singled and Liguori walked to load the bases. Ortiz Sanchez singled home Liguori and Ruiz to make it 14-0. Junior Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Pierce University) plated the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Mavericks scored their final five runs in the top of the eighth to build a 20-2 advantage. Senior Brandon Maravi (Tappan, N.Y./Sullivan CC) drove in the first run on a single to center field that scored Ortiz Sanchez. Glennerster then was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the second run. Ruiz brought in a run after reaching on an error to make it 18-2 and Liguori doubled home the final two runs to put Mercy ahead 20-2.
D'Youville plated a run in the eighth and ninth innings but it was not enough as the Mavericks came away with the win.
Murphy went 4-for-5 with a home run, four runs and four RBI and Ortiz Sanchez went 2-for-6 with four RBI. Glennerster went 1-for-6 with two RBI and Giblin went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Liguori went 2-for-4 with two RBI and four runs and Lebron went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Paulino went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Maravi went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Ruiz went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Dieguez went 1-for-3. Rozinski pitched six innings with two runs allowed and a career-high 10 strikeouts to earn his second win of the year. Sophomore John Gillespie (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
D'Youville was led by Alex Dzimian who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Game 2: Mercy 6, D'Youville 0
Game 2 was a pitcher's duel early on between DeRosa and D'Youville starter Alex Dzimian with the game scoreless after four innings of play. DeRosa allowed just one baserunner during the first four innings with that coming on a walk in the fourth.
Mercy finally broke through in the top of the fifth with three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Kuzari Jocelyn (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) singled to lead off the inning and stole second before Liguori brought him home with a single to left to make it 1-0. After Liguori stole third, Giblin singled to left field to score Liguori, giving Mercy a 2-0 lead. Lebron plated the final run of the inning on a single to right field that scored Giblin.
DeRosa set the Saints down in order again in the bottom of the fifth before Mercy scored three more runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-0 lead. Giblin started the rally with a single with two outs and scored when Ortiz Sanchez doubled to left center. Murphy then singled home Ortiz Sanchez to make it 5-0. Paulino later brought home Murphy on a single to left field which made it 6-0.
DeRosa surrendered a walk in the sixth but got out of the inning without allowing a hit. The junior needed just three more outs for the no-hitter and he was able to do it. DeRosa retired the first hitter of the inning on a strikeout swinging and then got a groundout for the second out of the inning. The junior induced a groundout to first to end the game and give himself the first no-hitter in the ECC since 2017.
DeRosa allowed just two baserunners over the seven innings and struck out seven to earn his first victory in just his second start back after missing the 2020 season due to injury. Giblin and Ortiz Sanchez both went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Lebron went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Murphy went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Paulino went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Jocelyn went 2-for-3 with a run and Liguori went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Dzimian went 5.2 innings with five earned runs allowed to take the loss.
