DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 21, 2022) – Powered by a team-high four RBI and a home run from junior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) and a one-hitter from junior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), the Mercy College softball team earned an 8-0 win over ECC foe Queens College before falling 4-3 in the nightcap on Thursday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (10-31, 8-10 ECC) split their eighth straight ECC doubleheader, while the Knights (6-25, 6-13 ECC) earn a split of the season series.
Game 1: Mercy 8, Queens 0 (5 Innings)
Mercy took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) doubled before Franck hit a two-run home run to right field to give Mercy a 2-0 lead.
The score remained 2-0 until the second inning when Mercy scored another run to take a 3-0 lead. Senior Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) led off the inning with a single and later scored on a senior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) RBI groundout.
The Mavericks made it 4-0 in the third inning with a run on two hits. Franck led off the inning with a single and freshman Bianca Mesadieu (Palm Bay, Fla./Eastern Florida State College) pinch ran for her. Mesadieu later scored on a junior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) RBI single.
Mercy tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Freshman Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) reached first on a fielder's choice and scored on a Sisco RBI single to the shortstop to make it 5-0. Franck plated the second run of the inning on an RBI groundout to give Mercy a 6-0 lead. Junior Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) brought in the final run on an RBI single to right center to make it 7-0.
The Mavericks would earn the win in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Alexandra Karavias (Westbury, N.Y./WT Clarke) singled and later scored following a Queens error that allowed Seppala to reach first, giving Mercy the 8-0 win via the run-rule.
Franck went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run and Sisco went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Johnston went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Smart went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ricci went 1-for-3 and freshman Maddie Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) and Karavias both went 1-for-1. Benson allowed just one hit and struck out three to earn her ninth win of the season.
Queens was led by Ann Grimshaw who went 1-for-2. Dyana Budakowski allowed seven earned runs in 4.2 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 11 hits and no errors and Queens had one hit and two errors.
Game 2: Queens 4, Mercy 3
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Crawford reached first on an error by the pitcher and later scored on a Franck RBI single to center field.
Karavias gave the Mavericks a 2-0 lead in the second inning when she hit a solo home run to center field.
Queens answered with two runs in the third and two runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
Mercy inched closer with a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-3. Franck singled and was pinch run for by Mesadieu. Karavias later brought Mesadieu home on a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-3. A flyout to right ended the inning with the bases loaded.
The Mavericks went down in order in the sixth and Johnston doubled in the seventh. However, a groundout to second ended the game with the tying run at second base.
Karavias went 2-for-2 with two RBI and a home run and Franck went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Johnston went 1-for-2 and Lula went 1-for-3. Senior Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) pitched the first four innings with two runs allowed to take a no-decision. Benson pitched the final three innings with two unearned runs allowed to take the loss.
Queens was led by Arianna Fracchioni who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and tossed a complete game in the circle to earn the win.
Mercy had six hits and one error and Queens had eight hits and two errors.
Interim Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, April 24th when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.
