FLUSHING, N.Y. (Apr. 9, 2022) – Powered by a complete-game three hitter from junior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), the Mercy College softball team earned a 6-1 win before falling 5-4 in the nightcap to ECC foe Queens College on Saturday afternoon at Queens College Softball Field.
The Mavericks (5-26, 3-5 ECC) earn their third straight doubleheader split, while the Knights (2-18, 2-6 ECC) earn their second win of the season.
Game 1: Mercy 6, Queens 1
Mercy jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Senior Alexis Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley High) tripled to lead off the game and later scored on a junior Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Junior Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption University) then singled to center field, scoring sophomore Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) to make it 2-0. Senior Ariana Ricci (Sacramento, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks) brought home the third run of the inning on a single to center field. Junior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) also scored after an error by the center fielder to make it 4-0.
Benson surrendered one of her three hits allowed in the bottom of the first which led to the Knights' only run, making it 4-1.
The score remained 4-1 until the top of the sixth when Mercy scored two runs to take a 6-1 lead. Ricci reached on an error and advanced to second after a groundout. Freshman Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) then singled to put runners on first and third. Seppala later stole second before Crawford doubled to left center, scoring Seppala and Ricci to make it 6-1.
Benson allowed her final two hits in the bottom of the seventh, but was able to induce a groundout to end the game.
Crawford went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Puglia went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Johnston went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Ricci went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Seppala and sophomore Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) both went 1-for-3. Benson went all seven innings with just one run allowed and four strikeouts to earn her fourth win.
Queens was led by Ann Grimshaw who went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Emma Wimmer allowed four earned runs to take the loss.
Mercy had nine hits and one error and Queens had three hits and two errors.
Game 2: Queens 5, Mercy 4
Queens jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on four hits. The Knights tacked on two more runs in the third inning on a Danielle D'Angelo two-run home run to make it 4-0.
Mercy answered with two runs in the top of the fourth to make it 4-2. Puglia singled to lead off the inning and later advanced to third after a Ricci single. Puglia stole home to make it 4-1 and Ricci scored the final run of the inning after freshman Maddie Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) reached on an error by the third baseman.
The Mavericks inched closer in the fifth with a run to make it 4-3. Crawford singled and stole second before Franck singled to right center, scoring Crawford to cut the Queens lead to 4-3.
Queens made it 5-3 in the fifth inning on a Grimshaw RBI double. The score remained 5-3 until the top of the seventh when Mercy scored a run to make it 5-4. Sisco doubled to lead off the inning and Franck singled her home to make it 5-4. The tying run would make it to third base after a wild pitch and groundout. However, a groundout and strikeout ended the threat and game.
Franck went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Crawford went 2-for-4 with a run. Puglia went 2-for-4 and Ricci went 3-for-3. Seppala went 1-for-3 and Sisco went 1-for-4. Senior Sabrina Gonzalez (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington) pitched a complete game with five runs allowed to take the loss.
Queens was led by D'Angelo who went 3-for-3 with three RBI and three runs. Arianna Fracchioni pitched five innings to earn the win and Wimmer pitched the seventh to earn the save.
Mercy had 12 hits and one error and Queens had 10 hits and three errors.
Interim Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at STAC at 11 a.m.
