DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 25, 2022) – Powered by a complete game on the mound from senior Jonathan Diforio (Harrison, N.Y./University of Delaware) and a walk-off RBI single from junior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt), the Mercy College baseball team opened ECC play with a 3-2 win over University of Bridgeport on Friday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (7-13, 1-0 ECC) have won four of their last five games, while the Purple Knights (8-12, 0-1 ECC) open ECC play with a loss.
Diforio allowed just one earned run with four strikeouts and just six hits allowed to earn his first win of the year. Giblin went 2-for-4 with a walk-off RBI for the second straight game and freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Senior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) went 2-for-4 with a run and senior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) went 1-for-2 with a run. Sophomore Jared Hernandez (Moca, P.R./Friends University) went 1-for-3 and graduate student Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC), junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) and freshman Nathan Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) all went 1-for-4.
Bridgeport was led by Jake Woods and Alex Rauso who both went 2-for-4. Matthew Wirz pitched 1.1 innings of relief to take the loss.
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on two hits. Liguori was hit by a pitch with two outs and stole second before Caballero singled down the left field line, scoring Liguori to make it 1-0.
Bridgeport answered with a run in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. Rauso tripled to lead off the inning and scored on an Anthony Pascale sacrifice fly.
The score remained 1-1 until the seventh inning when Mercy plated a run to take a 2-1 lead. Hernandez led off the inning with a single and advanced to second after a Saltzman sacrifice bunt. Caballero later singled up the middle, scoring Hernandez from second to give the Mavericks a 2-1 lead.
Bridgeport tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the ninth when Jeremy Rodrigues tripled to right center, allowing Angel Irby to score the tying run.
Just like they did on Wednesday Mercy had an answer in the bottom of the ninth, winning on a walk-off single by Giblin. Saltzman singled and Liguori singled to put runners on second and third. Caballero was intentionally walked to load the bases before Giblin singled through the right side, scoring Saltzman to give Mercy the 3-2 walk-off win.
Mercy had 11 hits and two errors and Bridgeport had six hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Bridgeport at 12 p.m.
