CARY, N.C. (Feb. 19, 2022) – Despite an RBI from graduate student Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC) and freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy), the Mercy College baseball team opened its 2022 season with a 5-2 loss to No. 14 Goldey-Beacom College and a 16-0 loss to RV Le Moyne College on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (0-2) open their season with two losses, while the Lightning (3-4) have won three games in a row and the Dolphins (1-2) earn their first win of the season.
Game 1: No. 14 Goldey-Beacom 5, Mercy 2
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy scored two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead. Freshman Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) led off the inning with a hit by pitch and was followed by a Jared Hernandez (Moca, Puerto Rico/Friends University) single to put runners on first and second. Wootten then delivered an RBI single to score Asaro, giving Mercy a 1-0 lead. Caballero later brought in Hernandez for the second run of the inning on a groundout to give Mercy a 2-0 lead.
Following three scoreless innings thrown by junior starter Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains), the Lightning finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth on a Connor Megginson sacrifice fly to left.
The score remained 2-1 until the top of the sixth when Goldey-Beacom scored two runs to take a 3-2 lead. Marshall Awtry and Cole Fowler recorded RBI singles in the inning.
The Lightning tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth on a Demetrius Johnson double and Awtry sacrifice fly.
Caballero reached third in the bottom of the ninth but was left stranded, giving Goldey-Beacom the win.
Wootten went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Hernandez went 2-for-3 in his Mercy debut. Caballero went 1-for-5 with his first collegiate hit and RBI. Junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) went 1-for-3 and Asaro went 1-for-3. Senior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage) went 1-for-4 and Burgio pitched five innings with two runs allowed and seven strikeouts to earn a no-decision. Sophomore Luis Ruiz (Weehawken, N.J./High Tech) pitched an inning of relief with one run allowed to take the loss.
Goldey-Beacom was led by Awtry who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Mitch Guerrieri pitched six innings with two runs allowed to earn the win. Wyatt Atkinson pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save.
Mercy had eight hits and no errors and Goldey-Beacom had 11 hits and one error.
Game 2: RV Le Moyne 16, Mercy 0
Le Moyne scored three runs in the top of the first off starter Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) and did not look back in earning the win. The Dolphins scored four runs in the fourth, one run in the seventh, two runs in the eight and six runs in the ninth to pull away from Mercy.
Glennerster went 2-for-3 and Caballero went 1-for-4. Seckler pitched one inning with three runs allowed to take the loss.
Le Moyne was led by Ty Syta who went 3-for-5 with three RBI. Jacob Marshall pitched seven innings with eight strikeouts to earn the win.
Mercy had three hits and three errors and Le Moyne had 15 hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they face Le Moyne at 10 a.m. and Goldey-Beacom at 1 p.m. in Cary, North Carolina.
