FLUSHING, N.Y. (Apr. 13, 2023) – Powered by a grand slam from freshman Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) in game two, the Mercy College softball team dropped a 3-2 decision to ECC foe Queens College before earning a 6-5 win in game two on Thursday afternoon.
The Mavericks (8-24, 3-7 ECC) split their third straight doubleheader, while the Knights (7-23, 4-6 ECC) snap a six-game losing streak with the game one win.
Game 1: Queens 3, Mercy 2
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when freshman Cayla Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) homered to right field with two outs to give the Mavericks the early lead.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when the Knights scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead.
The Mavericks would tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth. Crawford doubled to lead off the inning and later scored following a throwing error by the center fielder to make it 2-2.
Queens would score the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on a Cyarra Alvarado RBI single to give the Knights the 3-2 walk-off win.
Crawford went 3-for-3 with two runs and her third home run of the season. Sophomore Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) and seniors Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) and Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) all went 1-for-3. Senior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched a complete game with three runs allowed and eight strikeouts to take the loss. Benson recorded her 300th career strikeout becoming the first Maverick in program history to reach the mark. She now has 302 for her career.
Queens was led by Emma Zumpol who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Allyson Dilday pitched a complete game with one earned run allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had six hits and one error and Queens had 10 hits and three errors.
Game 2: Mercy 6, Queens 5
The score remained 0-0 until the top of the third when Mercy scored five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Senior Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption University) and junior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) led off the inning with singles. A Seppala sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. After a Crawford walk, Franck singled up the middle, scoring Puglia to make it 1-0. Stark then followed with a grand slam to left field to give the Mavericks a 5-0 lead.
The Knights scored four runs in the bottom of the third on a Myaisha Kelly grand slam to make it 5-4.
Mercy scored a run in the top of the fourth to make it 6-4. Seppala reached on an error and Crawford singled to put runners on first and third. Crawford then stole second and Seppala scored following a throwing error by the catcher to give Mercy an insurance run.
The Knights plated a run in the bottom of the fifth when Zumpol was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 6-5.
Freshman Marina Provencio (Saugus, Calif./Saugus) tossed two shutout innings to close out the win for the Mavericks.
Stark went 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBI and her second home run of the season. Franck went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Sisco went 3-for-4 with a run. Crawford and Puglia went 1-for-3 with a run and senior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) went 1-for-3. Johnston went 1-for-4 and senior Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) allowed four runs in 2.1 innings to earn a no-decision. Freshman Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) allowed one run in 2.2 innings to earn her first collegiate win. Provencio pitched two shutout innings to earn her first collegiate save.
Queens was led by Kelly who went 1-for-4 with four RBI. Dyana Budakowski allowed five earned runs in seven innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 11 hits and no errors and Queens had 10 hits and three errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host Queens at 2:30 p.m.
