MELBOURNE, Fla. (Mar. 22, 2022) – Despite a team-high two hits on the day from freshman Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington), the Mercy College softball team dropped 8-0 and 3-1 decisions to Florida Tech on Tuesday afternoon at Nancy Bottge Field.
The Mavericks (2-18) have dropped 11 games in a row, while the Panthers (23-14) snap a four-game losing streak.
Game 1: Florida Tech 8, Mercy 0
Florida Tech took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Chloe French RBI single. Senior Ylannah Bowman (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) recorded the Mavericks first hit in the second inning but was left stranded at first.
The Panthers increased their lead to 4-0 in the second inning after Cheyenne Nelson hit a three-run home run.
Florida Tech scored an unearned run in the third inning to build a 5-0 lead. Seppala singled in the fourth and junior Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) reached on catcher's interference to put runners on first and second. A double play ended the threat.
The hosts tacked on two more runs in the fourth and a run in the sixth to earn an 8-0 victory via the run-rule.
Seppala and Bowman both went 1-for-2. Sophomore Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) pitched an inning with two runs allowed to take the loss.
Florida Tech was led by Nelson and French who both went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Samantha Guider pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Mercy had two hits and three errors and Florida Tech had nine hits and one error.
Game 2: Florida Tech 3, Mercy 1
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Mikayla Lewin sacrifice fly. The score remained 1-0 until the fourth inning when Florida Tech tacked on two more runs to take a 3-0 lead. Whitney Ellis recorded an RBI double to bring in the first run and Mikayla Wessel brought in the final run on a sacrifice fly.
Mercy struck back with a run in the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Junior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) led off the inning with a double and Bowman walked. Smart and Bowman advanced to second and third after a wild pitch before senior Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Smart. Two groundouts ended the inning with just one run scoring.
The Mavericks could not score again, giving Florida Tech the 3-1 win.
Senior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High), Seppala and Smart all went 1-for-3. Sophomore Alexandra Karavias (Westbury, N.Y./WT Clarke) pitched a complete game with just two earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Florida Tech was led by Lewin and Ellis who both recorded an RBI. Kelsie Rivers pitched five innings with one run allowed to earn the win. Allison Platon pitched the final two innings to earn the save.
Mercy had three hits and two errors and Florida Tech had seven hits and one error.
Head Coach Mike Fazio and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Embry-Riddle at 12 p.m.
