FLORENCE, S.C. (Feb. 19, 2022) – Powered by a game-high three RBI from senior Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) and one run allowed in the circle by junior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) in game two, the Mercy College softball team dropped a 4-3 decision to Bloomsburg University before earning a 4-1 win over Tusculum University.
The Mavericks (1-2) earn their first win of the season, while Bloomsburg (1-0) opens their season with a win and Tusculum (8-3) sees their six-game winning streak come to an end.
Game 1: Bloomsburg 4, Mercy 3
Mercy got the scoring started in the top of the first when sophomore Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) singled and was brought home by a two-run home run by junior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) to give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead.
The score remained 2-0 until the top of the third when Mercy tacked on a run to take a 3-0 lead. Sisco led off the inning with a single and later stole second. After a strikeout to make two outs in the inning, senior Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) stepped up and delivered an RBI single up the middle to give Mercy a 3-0 lead.
Senior starter Catherine Zucker (North Babylon, N.Y./St. Joseph's College (LI)) was able to keep Bloomsburg off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth. A Sammi Starr home run to lead off the sixth inning cut the Mercy lead to 3-1. Danielle Barnes later drove in another run on an RBI single up the middle to make it 3-2. Alexis Wetzler brought in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 3-3.
The Mavericks went down in order in the top of the seventh and Bloomsburg would earn the win in the bottom of the seventh after a walk-off double by Starr.
Franck went 1-for-4 with two RBI and her first home run of the season. Sisco went 3-for-4 with two runs, junior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) went 2-for-3 and freshman Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) went 2-for-3. Bowman went 1-for-3 with an RBI and junior Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption College) went 1-for-2. Zucker pitched 5.1 innings with two earned runs allowed to take a no-decision. Sophomore Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) pitched 0.2 scoreless innings of relief and Benson pitched 0.2 innings with a run allowed to take the loss.
Bloomsburg was led by Starr who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Callie Sowers pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Mercy had 10 hits and one error and Bloomsburg had eight hits and one error.
Game 2: Mercy 4, Tusculum 1
Tusculum scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the first when Anna Alloway recorded a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0.
Mercy evened the score at 1-1 in the top of the second. Puglia reached on an error and would later score on a Ricci RBI single.
The Mavericks took the lead for good in the top of the fourth with three runs to take a 4-1 lead. After a popup and strikeout made two outs in the inning, Puglia reached on an error to get the rally started. Seppala singled to put runners on first and second before Ricci recorded a two-run triple to make it 3-1. Senior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) then recorded a single to score Ricci, giving Mercy a 4-1 lead. The Mavericks were able to score four runs against Tusculum starter Emily Sappington who entered the game with a 5-0 record and 0.82 ERA. Benson was up to the challenge for the Mavericks in the circle, allowing just four hits and one run to earn the win.
Ricci went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Crawford went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Seppala went 1-for-3 and Puglia went 1-for-4 with two runs. Sisco went 1-for-4 and freshman Maddie Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) went 1-for-1.
Tusculum was led by Katelynn Hodges who had two hits.
Mercy had eight hits and one error and Tusculum had four hits and three errors.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they face Bloomsburg at 10 a.m. at Francis Marion University.
