PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 16, 2022) – Powered by a game-high three RBI from junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea), the Mercy College baseball team earned a 12-7 win over regionally-ranked Pace University on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mavericks (4-12) snap a six-game losing streak, while the Setters (5-4) see their four-game winning streak come to an end. Pace was ranked eighth in the latest NCBWA East Region Poll on Monday.
Glennerster went 2-for-4 with three RBI and senior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) went 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) hit 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI and junior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Senior James Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) went 2-for-4 with two runs and sophomore Jared Hernandez (Moca, P.R./Friends University) went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Junior Ryan Gonzalez (Howell, N.J./Neumann University) added two RBI and graduate student Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC) had one RBI. Senior Jonathan Diforio (Harrison, N.Y./University of Delaware) pitched six innings with six runs allowed to earn a no-decision. Graduate student Kuzari Jocelyn (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) pitched two perfect innings to earn his first collegiate win.
Pace was led by Nate Carminucci who went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Dan Brown pitched three innings with five earned runs allowed to earn a no-decision. Vincent Vartolone pitched an inning with four runs allowed to take the loss.
Saltzman set the tone early for the Mavericks, leading off the game with a home run to give Mercy a 1-0 lead. Glennerster later recorded a two-run double that scored Giblin and freshman Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) to make it 3-0. Gonzalez then grounded out to score Wootten, giving Mercy a 4-0 lead after the top of the first. Pace got a run back in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-1 after one inning.
The score remained 4-1 until the third inning when Mercy scored two more runs to take a 6-1 lead. Caballero singled and stole second before Giblin reached on a hit by pitch. Wootten then walked to load the bases before Glennerster singled to bring home Caballero. Gonzalez then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Giblin to make it 6-1. Carminucci drove in a run for Pace in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2 after three innings.
The Setters added a run in the fourth inning, three runs in the sixth inning and a run in the seventh inning to take a 7-6 lead after seven innings. Mercy quickly responded with four runs in the eighth to take the lead back at 10-7. Senior James Mattutat (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) reached on an error and Dieguez singled to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by Saltzman moved the runners to second and third. Hernandez then singled home a run to tie the game at 7-7. Caballero followed with another single, scoring Dieguez to give Mercy an 8-7 lead. Giblin then doubled to score Hernandez, giving Mercy a 9-7 lead. Wootten provided the last run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Mavericks a 10-7 lead.
Jocelyn retired the Setters in order in the eighth and the Mavericks added on two more runs in the ninth to take a 12-7 lead. Freshman Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) reached on a hit by pitch and later stole home to make it 11-7. Giblin brought home the final run of the inning on a single that scored Dieguez to give the Mavericks a five-run lead. Jocelyn again retired Pace in order in the ninth to give Mercy the win.
Mercy had 14 hits and two errors and Pace had nine hits and four errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Jefferson at 2:30 p.m.
