CLERMONT, Fla. (Mar. 11, 2023) – Powered by a game-high two RBI in game two from junior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University), the Mercy College softball team dropped a 6-2 decision to Slippery Rock University before earning a 3-2 win over American International College on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (1-11) snap an 11-game losing streak and earn their first win of the season, while the Rock (2-5) snap a two-game losing streak with the win and the Yellow Jackets (0-3) remain winless on the year.
Game 1: Slippery Rock 6, Mercy 2
Mercy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Sisco singled and walks from sophomore Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) and freshman Cayla Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) loaded the bases. Senior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) drew a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to score Sisco.
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the third when Slippery Rock scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead.
The Rock added two more runs in the top of the fourth a two-run double by Alexsa Hurd to take a 5-1 lead.
The Mavericks scored their final run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-2. Seppala singled to lead off the inning and senior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) reached on a fielder's choice. Smart later scored on a freshman Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) RBI single to make it 5-2.
Slippery Rock added their final run of the game in the seventh inning to make it 6-2 and held on for the win.
Stark went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Sisco went 1-for-4 with a run. Seppala and senior Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption University) both went 1-for-3. Freshman Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) pitched three innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Slippery Rock was led by Hurd who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Kelsi Anderson pitched five innings with one earned run allowed to earn the win and Chloe Sharman pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the save.
Mercy had four hits and one error and Slippery Rock had 10 hits and two errors.
Game 2: Mercy 3, American International 2
The Yellow Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
The score remained 2-0 until the top of the fifth when Mercy scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Juniors Alexandra Karavias (Westbury, N.Y./WT Clarke) and Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Sisco then tripled home both Harris and Karavias to tie the game at 2-2. Seppala then singled home Sisco for the go-ahead run to give Mercy a 3-2 lead.
Senior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) would hold the Yellow Jackets scoreless for the final three innings of the game to give Mercy the 3-2 win.
Sisco went 1-for-4 with two RBI and Seppala went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Crawford went 1-for-3 and Harris went 1-for-2 with a run. Benson pitched a complete game with just one earned run allowed and 10 strikeouts to earn the win.
AIC was led by Leah Twyman who went 2-for-3. Alexis Jimenez took the loss for the Yellow Jackets.
Mercy had four hits and one error and AIC had six hits and no errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Rollins at 11 a.m.
