DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 9, 2021) – Powered by a game-high three RBI from senior Francisco Paulino (Haina San Cristobal, Dominican Republic/Monroe College), the Mercy College baseball team earned a 6-3 win over ECC foe University of Bridgeport on Friday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (7-3, 4-0 ECC) continue their best start since 1985 and start 4-0 in ECC play for the first time in program history. Mercy's current four-game winning streak is their longest since they won six straight games in 2019. The Purple Knights (3-4, 3-4 ECC) fall below .500 in ECC play with the loss.
Paulino went 2-for-4 with three RBI and junior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Junior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) went 1-for-4 and graduate student Miguel Ortiz Sanchez (Bronx, N.Y./Monroe College) and sophomore Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) both went 1-for-5. Sophomore Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) pitched six innings with three runs allowed and eight strikeouts to improve to 3-1 on the year. Freshman Luis Ruiz (Weehawken, N.J./High Tech) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and senior Andrew Hernandez (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. John's University) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.
Bridgeport was led by Anthony Pascale who went 1-for-4 with a home run. Anthony Martino pitched 3.2 innings with six runs allowed to take the loss.
After Burgio tossed a scoreless top of the first, Mercy scored one run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Ortiz Sanchez singled and stole second before graduate student Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) walked. Junior Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Pierce University) then walked to load the bases before Paulino brought in the first run when he reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Ortiz Sanchez to score.
Burgio retired the Purple Knights in order in the top of the second before Mercy scored another run in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead. Saltzman led off the inning with a single and stole second. Liguori then singled which allowed Saltzman to go to third. Saltzman would score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
Bridgeport tied the game up at 2-2 in the third with two runs on four hits. Mercy quickly answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs to retake the lead at 4-2. Paulino singled with two outs and sophomore Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) and junior James Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) followed with walks to load the bases. Saltzman then singled to center field, allowing Glennerster and Paulino to score.
A Pascale home run in the fourth got Bridgeport to within one, 4-3. Mercy responded once again in the bottom of the inning with two runs to increase the lead to 6-3. Giblin led off the inning with a single and was forced out at second following a fielder's choice by Ortiz Sanchez. Murphy walked to put runners on first and second before Paulino doubled down the left field line, allowing Murphy and Ortiz Sanchez to score a pair of insurance runs.
Burgio retired the Purple Knights in order in his final two innings and Ruiz and Hernandez combined to pitch three scoreless innings with just two hits allowed to preserve the win.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Bridgeport for a doubleheader at 12 p.m.
