DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (May 2, 2021) – Despite home runs from graduate student Anthony Murphy (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) and senior Francisco Paulino (Haina San Cristobal, Dominican Republic/Monroe College), the Mercy College baseball team dropped a 7-6 Senior Day decision to ECC foe No. 19 St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
In a ceremony prior to the game, the Mavericks recognized Murphy, Paulino, Miguel Ortiz Sanchez, Jack Kelly, Erick Miranda, Paul Cozzolino, Brandon Maravi, JJ Lantigua, Kuzari Jocelyn, Osvaldo Encarnacion, Nicholas Pellegrino, Zak Kain, Cain Ruiz, Manuel Sanchez, Carlos Espinosa and 2020 graduate John Mooradian for their contributions to the baseball program and the athletic department.
The Mavericks (17-9, 13-5 ECC) see their three-game winning streak come to an end, while the Spartans (20-3, 14-3 ECC) sweep the season series with Mercy.
Murphy went 2-for-3 with three RBI and his sixth home run. Paulino went 1-for-3 with his first home run of the year and Ortiz Sanchez went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Junior Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y./Franklin Pierce University) went 1-for-5 with an RBI and sophomore Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) went 1-for-4. Sophomore Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) went 1-for-1 with a run and Kelly pitched 0.1 innings with four runs allowed to take the loss. Sanchez pitched a scoreless inning of relief, Encarnacion pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief and sophomore Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings.
The Spartans were led by James Versage who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Yanni Orfanidis pitched two innings to earn the win and James Reilly pitched the final 1.1 innings to earn the save.
STAC led the game off with a home run and scored four more runs in the first to take a 5-0 lead. Mercy answered in the bottom of the first with three runs to make it 5-3. Giblin walked and Ortiz Sanchez followed with a double .Murphy then smacked a home run over the right field fence to make it 5-3.
The score remained 5-3 until the top of the sixth when STAC scored two more runs to take a 7-3 lead.
Mercy inched closer in the bottom of the seventh with a run to make it 7-4. Ortiz Sanchez doubled and later scored on a Lebron RBI single.
The Mavericks scored two more runs in the eighth inning to make it 7-6. Paulino led off the inning with a home run to make it 7-5. Glennerster and Gibin singled and stole bases before Ortiz Sanchez singled to bring home Glennerster to get Mercy to with one. After a walk loaded the bases, a fielder's choice ended the inning.
After STAC went down in order in the top of the ninth, Mercy had the tying run reach first, but a fielder's choice would end the game.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, May 6th when they play at Dominican at 3 p.m.
