DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 10, 2023) – Powered by a walk-off RBI single from freshman Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) in the 11th inning, the Mercy College baseball team overcame a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a 10-9 win over University of Bridgeport in 11 innings on Friday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (3-11) snap an eight-game losing streak, while the Purple Knights (2-10) have dropped seven games in a row.
McAdams went 2-for-2 off the bench with his first career walk-off RBI. Senior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-Dewitt) went 5-for-7 with a game-high five RBI and sophomore Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) went 2-for-7 with an RBI. Graduate student Steven Schoen (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Sacred Heart University) went 2-for-6 and sophomore Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) went 2-for-6 with two runs. Junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) went 1-for-5 and freshman Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) went 2-for-2. Sophomore Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and seniors Ryan Gonzalez (Howell, N.J./Neumann University) and Janiel Ramirez (Windsor, Conn./The College of Saint Rose) both went 1-for-1. Graduate student Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) pitched five innings with one earned run allowed to take a no-decision. Senior Ryan Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Chaminade) pitched a scoreless inning of relief and freshman Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to earn his first collegiate win.
Bridgeport was led by Craig Leonard who went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Matt Wild allowed a run in 1.1 innings of relief to take the loss.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when Mercy scored a run to take a 1-0 lead. Caballero led off the inning with a double and later scored on a Giblin RBI single to make it 1-0.
Bridgeport scored two runs in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Mercy battled back and scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-2 lead. Freshman Niko Sorice (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point) drove in the first run by getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Giblin then hit a triple with the bases loaded to score three runs, giving Mercy a 5-2 lead.
The Purple Knights scored three runs in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5. Asaro drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth to give Mercy a 6-5 lead.
Joseph Gonzalez gave the Mavericks a 7-5 lead in the sixth inning after a groundout that allowed Sanders to score.
The score remained 7-5 until the top of the eighth when Bridgeport scored four runs to take a 9-7 lead. Mercy could not score in the eighth inning and headed into the ninth inning down by two. Ashline led off the ninth inning with a single and then Asaro grounded into a double play to give the Purple Knights two outs. With Mercy down to their final out, Caballero walked and Ryan Gonzalez singled and advanced to second on an error by the right fielder to put runners on second and third. Caballero then scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-8 and Giblin recorded an infield single to score freshman Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt), tying the game at 9-9. A groundout to third ended the inning.
Wirz pitched a scoreless 10th inning and Mercy loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, but could not score sending the game into the 11th inning. Wirz retired the Purple Knights in order in the top of the 11th and the Mavericks would score the winning run in the bottom of the inning to earn the 10-9 win. Giblin and Sanders recorded back-to-back singles with one out and Schoen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a strikeout, McAdams singled to left field with two outs, allowing Giblin to score the winning run from third.
Mercy had 19 hits and three errors and Bridgeport had 10 hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, March 12th when they play a doubleheader at Bridgeport starting at 1 p.m.
