BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Mar. 26, 2022) – Powered by the go-ahead two-run single from graduate student Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC) in game one, the Mercy College baseball team earned a 5-3 win over ECC foe University of Bridgeport before falling 4-1 in the nightcap on Saturday afternoon at Seaside Park.
The Mavericks (8-14, 2-1 ECC) win the season series with the Purple Knights (9-13, 1-2 ECC) for the first time since 2008.
Game 1: Mercy 5, Bridgeport 3
Bridgeport took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Craig Leonard RBI single and an Anthony Pascale two-run single. The score remained 3-0 until the fourth inning when Mercy plated a run to make it 3-1. Freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) led off the inning with a single and stole second. He advanced to third after a groundout before junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) singled him home.
It stayed 3-1 until the seventh inning when Mercy scored four runs to take the lead for good at 5-3. After the first two batters got out, senior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) walked and stole second. Caballero then doubled to score Liguori, making it 3-2. Junior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) then delivered an RBI double, scoring Caballero to tie the game at 3-3. After back-to-back walks to load the bases, Wootten delivered a single that scored junior Ryan Gonzalez (Howell, N.J./Neumann University) and Giblin to put Mercy up 5-3.
The combination of junior Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) and graduate student Kuzari Jocelyn (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) held the Purple Knights scoreless for the final three innings to give Mercy the 5-3 win.
Caballero went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI and Wootten went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Glennerster went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Giblin went 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Freshman Nathan Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) went 1-for-4 and Burgio pitched 6.1 innings with two earned runs allowed and 10 strikeouts to earn his second win of the year. Jocelyn pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to earn the save.
Bridgeport was led by Pascale who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Jason Burger pitched 6.2 innings with five runs allowed to take the loss.
Mercy had eight hits and one error and Bridgeport had six hits and one error.
Game 2: Bridgeport 4, Mercy 1
Mercy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Senior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) led off the game with a double and was driven in by a Caballero single.
It remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when Pascale hit a two-run double to give the Purple Knights a 2-1 lead. Bridgeport tacked on two more runs in the inning to take a 4-1 lead after four innings.
Mercy was unable to score again giving Bridgeport the 4-1 game two win.
Saltzman went 2-for-4 with a run and Caballero went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Glennerster went 1-for-2 and Giblin and Wootten both went 1-for-3. Freshman Scott Scheppy (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) pitched a complete game with four runs allowed to take the loss.
Bridgeport was led by Pascale who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Andrew Francella pitched a complete game with one run allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had six hits and no errors and Bridgeport had six hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, April 1st when they host Staten Island at 12 p.m.
