STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Apr. 2, 2022) – Powered by a team-high three RBI from senior Ryan Saltzman (Old Bethpage, N.Y./Plainview Old Bethpage JFK) in game one, the Mercy College baseball team earned an 8-5 win in game one before falling 5-4 in the nightcap to ECC foe College of Staten Island on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (11-15, 4-2 ECC) see their three-game winning streak come to an end, while the Dolphins (7-14, 1-5 ECC) pick up their first ECC win of the season.
Game 1: Mercy 8, Staten Island 5
Staten Island took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Shendi Ulaj RBI double. Mercy responded with four runs in the top of the second to take a 4-1 lead. Junior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) RBI single. Freshman Nathan Rodriguez (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) later singled to right field scoring Glennerster to make it 2-1. Saltzman brought in the final two runs of the inning on a single to left field, making it 4-1.
The score remained 4-1 until the bottom of the sixth when the Dolphins scored four runs to take a 5-4 lead. Mercy tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh when Giblin doubled home freshman Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy).
The Mavericks took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Glennerster led off the inning with a double and later scored after Saltzman reached first on a throwing error by the first baseman.
Mercy scored two more runs in the ninth inning to take an 8-5 lead. Caballero was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-5. Sophomore Jared Hernandez (Moca, P.R./Friends University) later drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Wootten to put Mercy up, 8-5.
Graduate student Kuzari Jocelyn (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to give Mercy the win.
Saltzman went 2-for-5 with three RBI and Glennerster went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Giblin went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Wootten and Caballero both went 1-for-4. Junior Anthony Burgio (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) pitched eight innings with three earned runs allowed and seven strikeouts to earn the win. Jocelyn pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
Staten Island was led by Ulaj who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Ryan Kehoe pitched seven innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 10 hits and five errors and Staten Island had five hits and four errors.
Game 2: Staten Island 5, Mercy 4
Mercy scored all four of their runs in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead. Senior Nikko Liguori (Branford, Conn./Franklin Pierce University) singled and Caballero walked to put runners on first and second. A double steal moved the runners to second and third. Giblin then walked to load the bases before junior Ryan Gonzalez (Howell, N.J./Neumann University) singled to the shortstop, scoring Liguori to make it 1-0. Glennerster followed with a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0 and Giblin scored on a wild pitch to give Mercy a 3-0 lead. Wootten then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Gonzalez for the final run of the inning.
Staten Island scored three runs in the bottom of the second to cut Mercy's lead to 4-3.
The score remained 4-3 until the bottom of the fifth when Nick Cippoletti recorded a two-run single that gave the Dolphins a 5-4 lead.
Mercy was unable to score in the sixth and seventh innings, giving Staten Island the game two win.
Liguori went 2-for-4 with a run and Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Giblin went 1-for-2 with a run and freshman Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) went 1-for-2. Glennerster and Wootten each had an RBI. Freshman Scott Scheppy (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) pitched 4.1 innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss. Junior Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Staten Island was led by Cippoletti who went 2-for-2 with two RBI. Pat Gardner pitched six innings to earn the win. Steven Collica pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the save.
Mercy had five hits and three errors and Staten Island had nine hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, April 5th when they host Adelphi at 3:30 p.m.
