CALDWELL, N.J. (Mar. 24, 2023) – Despite an RBI from seniors Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) and Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley), the Mercy College softball team dropped 11-3 and 5-0 decisions to Caldwell University on Friday afternoon.
The Mavericks (3-17) have dropped four games in a row, while the Cougars (7-7) improve to .500 on the year.
Game 1: Caldwell 11, Mercy 3 (5 Innings)
Caldwell took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on four hits. The Cougars added four more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 7-0 lead.
Mercy scored three runs in the top of the third to make it 7-3. Junior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) led off the inning with a double and scored on a Franck bases-loaded walk to make it 7-1. Smart then drew another bases-loaded walk to score sophomore Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington), making it 7-2. Freshman Cayla Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch to make it 7-3.
Caldwell scored four runs in the bottom of the third to take an 11-3 lead. Mercy could not score in the fourth or fifth innings and the Cougars earned the 11-3 game one win.
Franck and Smart both went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Seppala and Crawford both went 1-for-2 with a run. Sisco went 1-for-3 with a run and junior Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) went 1-for-3. Senior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched two innings with seven runs allowed to take the loss.
Caldwell was led by Ashleigh Tavaska who went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Mariah Culver pitched 2.1 innings to earn the win.
Mercy had six hits and one error and Caldwell had 14 hits and no errors.
Game 2: Caldwell 5, Mercy 0
Caldwell took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Maya Rodriguez three-run home run.
The Cougars added a run in the third inning to make it 4-0 and scored their final run in the fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead.
Mercy could not score, giving Caldwell the 5-0 game two win.
Seppala and Crawford both went 2-for-3 and freshman Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) pitched two innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Caldwell was led by Rodriguez who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Olivia Kennedy pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Mercy had four hits and one error and Caldwell had seven hits and one error.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, March 26th when they host Goldey-Beacom at 12 p.m.
