CARY, N.C. (Feb. 20, 2022) – Powered by a team-high five RBI on the day from senior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University), the Mercy College baseball team earned a 7-6 win over RV Le Moyne and a 6-5 victory over No. 14 Goldey-Beacom College on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks (2-2) snap a two-game losing streak, while the Dolphins (1-3) drop their third game of the year and the Lightning (3-5) see their three-game winning streak to an end. The win over 2021 NCAA Tournament participant Goldey-Beacom is the program's first over a ranked team since 2018.
Game 1: Mercy 7, Le Moyne 6
Le Moyne struck first with a sacrifice fly to left field in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. The Mavericks evened the score in the top of the third. Graduate student Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC) led off the inning with a single and later scored on a Liguori single to make it 1-1.
The Dolphins took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth on two hits. Mercy stormed back in the top of the fifth with five runs on five hits to take a 6-2 lead. Freshman Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and was brought home by a Wootten triple. Senior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) then singled home Wootten to make it 3-2. Freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) followed with a single to put runners on first and third. Liguori drove in Saltzman and Caballero with a triple to make it 5-2. Junior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) brought in the final run of the inning on a single to center field, giving Mercy a 6-2 lead.
Le Moyne added a run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. The score remained 6-6 until the top of the ninth when Mercy plated a run to take a 7-6 lead. Caballero started the rally with a single, advanced to second on a balk and to third on a wild pitch. Liguori then singled to the pitcher to score Caballero for the go-ahead run.
The combination of freshman Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) and sophomore Luis Ruiz (Weehawken, N.J./High Tech) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to give Mercy the win.
Liguori went 3-for-5 with four RBI and Caballero went 2-for-4 with two runs. Saltzman went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Wootten went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Giblin went 1-for-5 with an RBI and junior Ryan Gonzalez (Howell, N.J./Neumann University) went 2-for-4. Junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) went 1-for-4 and senior Austin DeRosa (Seymour, Conn./Seymour) pitched 6.1 innings with four earned runs allowed to earn a no-decision. Manzoeillo pitched two innings with no earned runs allowed to pick up his first collegiate win. Ruiz pitched the final 0.2 innings to earn the save.
Le Moyne was led by Jason Boule who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Sam DiGeorge pitched 0.2 innings with one run allowed to take the loss.
Mercy had 12 hits and two errors and Le Moyne had nine hits and one error.
Game 2: Mercy 6, Goldey-Beacom 5
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when the Lightning scored a run on three hits to take a 1-0 lead. Mercy answered right back with two runs in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Gonzalez led off the inning reaching on an error and later scored on a Giblin triple. Wootten drove in the second run of the inning after an error by the second baseman to make it 2-1.
Mercy added a run in the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Caballero tripled and Liguori drove him in with a single. The Lightning got a second run off Mercy starter senior Jonathan Diforio (Harrison, N.Y./University of Delaware) in the bottom of the inning to cut Mercy's lead to 3-2. Goldey-Beacom tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh.
The Mavericks regained the lead in the eighth inning. Glennerster led off with a walk and later scored on a Wootten fielder's choice to make it 4-3. Mercy added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to take a 6-3 lead. Saltzman walked and stole second before Caballero singled him home to make it 5-3. Wootten later brought in the final run of the inning on a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-3.
The Lightning scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth but junior Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) recorded a flyout to center to end the game.
Caballero and Giblin both went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run and Wootten had three RBI. Liguori went 1-for-5 with an RBI and freshman Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) went 1-for-3 with his first collegiate hit. Diforio pitched six innings with two runs allowed to earn a no-decision. Seckler pitched the final three innings with two earned runs allowed to earn the win.
Goldey-Beacom was led by Mason Maxwell who went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Michael Awtry pitched one inning with one run allowed to take the loss.
Mercy had eight hits and one error and Goldey-Beacom had nine hits and five errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, February 25th when they face Felician in Myrtle Beach at 12 p.m.
