ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Apr. 5, 2022) – Powered by a team-high two RBI from junior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) and senior Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) in game two, the Mercy College softball team dropped a 1-0 decision in game one before earning a 7-4 victory in the nightcap over ECC foe Molloy College on Tuesday afternoon at the RVC Sports Complex.
The Mavericks (4-25, 2-4 ECC) split their second straight ECC doubleheader, while the Lions (12-15, 6-2 ECC) suffer their second ECC loss of the season.
Game 1: Molloy 1, Mercy 0 (11 Innings)
Game one was a pitcher's duel between Mercy starter Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) and Molloy starter Courtney Greene.
Molloy had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and third, but Benson induced a groundout to send the game into extra innings.
Senior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) and sophomore Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) recorded back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth, but a double play ended the inning and threat.
Mercy got runners to second and third in the tenth after freshman Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) and Crawford singled. However, a fielder's choice ended the inning with the game still scoreless.
Molloy won the game in the bottom of the 11th when Natalie Moussa recorded an RBI single up the middle, scoring Greene to give the Lions a 1-0 walk-off win.
Crawford went 2-for-5 and Sisco went 1-for-5. Seppala and junior Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption University) went 1-for-4. Benson went the distance with a career-high 12 strikeouts and just one run allowed to take the loss.
Molloy was led by Moussa who went 1-for-5 with an RBI. Greene pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts to earn the win.
Mercy had five hits and one error and Molloy had nine hits and one error.
Game 2: Mercy 7, Molloy 4
The game was scoreless until the top of the third when Mercy scored two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Seppala and Crawford recorded back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third after a Sisco sacrifice bunt. Franck then doubled to left center, scoring both Seppala and Crawford to make it 2-0.
Mercy made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth. Ricci and freshman Maddie Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) singled before Seppala singled to score Ricci, making it 3-0.
Molloy scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-2 after an Alex Burns two-run single.
The Mavericks tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead. Franck walked and junior Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) singled to put runners on first and second. Junior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) then sacrificed them over to second and third. After a strikeout, Ricci doubled to right field, scoring Johnston and Franck to make it 5-2. Lula then doubled home Ricci to give Mercy a 6-2 lead.
Mercy added a run in the sixth to make it 7-2. Sisco singled and stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch. Molloy scored two runs in the sixth inning to make it 7-4, but senior Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) did not allow another run to give Mercy the game two win.
Ricci went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs and Franck went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. Lula went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Seppala went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Crawford, Sisco and Johnston each went 1-for-3 with a run and Gonzalez pitched all seven innings with three strikeouts to earn her first win of the season.
Molloy was led by Burns who went 2-for-4 with four RBI. Amanda King pitched a complete game with five strikeouts to take the loss.
Mercy had 12 hits and one error and Molloy had 12 hits and one error.
Interim Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, April 7th when they play at STAC at 2:30 p.m.
