DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 6, 2022) – Despite a team-high two RBI on the day from freshman Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley), the Mercy College baseball team dropped 7-2 and 5-3 decisions to Southern Connecticut State University on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (3-9) have dropped three games in a row, while the Owls (8-0) remain unbeaten on the year.
Game 1: Southern Connecticut State 7, Mercy 2
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on three hits. Senior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) and junior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) recorded back-to-back singles before graduate student Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Westchester CC) singled down the leftfield line to score Liguori for the game's first run.
The scored remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth when Bill Sullivan homered to tie the game at 1-1. The Owls scored two more runs in the inning after a Mercy error, taking a 3-1 lead.
Southern Connecticut State scored four more runs in the fifth inning to increase their lead to 7-1. Mercy inched closer with a run in the fifth inning to make it 7-2. Freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) walked and later scored on a Giblin RBI groundout. Mercy would be held scoreless in the final two innings, giving the Owls the game one win.
Wootten went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Giblin went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Liguori went 2-for-3 and Asaro, freshman Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) and senior James Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) each went 1-for-3. Junior Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) pitched 4.1 innings with five earned runs allowed to take the loss. Freshman Nathan Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) and graduate student Kuzari Jocelyn (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) combined for 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
The Owls were led by Jack Drewry who went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Nick Guarino pitched six innings to earn the win.
Mercy had seven hits and one error and Southern Connecticut State had six hits and one error.
Game 2: Southern Connecticut State 5, Mercy 3
Mercy scored all three of their runs in the second inning taking a 3-0 lead after two innings. Wootten led off the inning with a hit by pitch and Liguori and junior Ryan Gonzalez (Howell, N.J./Neumann University) followed with infield hits to load the bases. Asaro then singled to bring home Wootten and Liguori for the game's first two runs. Freshman Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) later plated Gonzalez with a sacrifice fly to center field, making it 3-0.
Sullivan recorded an RBI single in the third inning to make it 3-1. Mike DeMartino led off the fourth inning with a home run to right field to get the Owls within one, 3-2. Sullivan gave Southern Connecticut a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh following an RBI single.
The Owls plated a run in the ninth inning on passed ball to take a 5-3 lead. Mercy went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to give Southern Connecticut State the win.
Asaro went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a run. Giblin went 2-for-4 and Liguori and senior Ivan Martinez Jr. (Bronx, N.Y./Towson University) both went 1-for-4. Freshman Scott Scheppy (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) pitched seven innings with four runs allowed to take the loss. Sophomore Luis Ruiz (Weehawken, N.J./High Tech) pitched two innings with no earned runs allowed.
Sullivan went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Owls. Steve Phillips pitched six innings to earn the win and Tommy Hughes tossed three scoreless innings to earn the save.
Mercy had seven hits and one error and Southern Connecticut State had nine hits and two errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, March 8th when they play at Adelphi at 3 p.m.
