DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 15, 2023) – Powered by 8 2/3 strong innings on the mound from graduate student Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) and a game-high two RBI from freshman Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) in game one, the Mercy College baseball team earned a 5-1 win over ECC foe College of Staten Island in game one before falling 4-0 in the nightcap on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (8-26, 4-11 ECC) see their three-game winning streak come to an end with the game two loss, while the Dolphins (11-19, 3-8 ECC) snap a two-game losing streak with the game two win.
Game 1: Mercy 5, Staten Island 1
The game remained scoreless until the third inning when Mercy scored two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ashline then singled to left field scoring Gonzalez to make it 1-0. Ashline later scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
Mercy held a 2-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh when they scored two more runs to take a 4-0 lead. Junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) singled with two outs and scored on an Ashline triple to center field, making it 3-0. Ashline later scored after sophomore Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) reached on an error by the second baseman to give Mercy a 4-0 lead.
The Mavericks tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-0. Senior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) and freshman John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Glennerster later scored on a graduate student Steven Schoen (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Sacred Heart University) sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
Seckler tossed eight shutout innings before giving up his lone run with two outs in the ninth to make it 5-1. Freshman Riley Williams (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) induced a fly out to right field to give Mercy the 5-1 game one win.
Ashline went 2-for-2 with a game-high two RBI and two runs and Sanders went 1-for-3. Freshman Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) went 1-for-3 and Caballero, senior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-Dewitt), Glennerster and Gonzalez went 1-for-4. Nisco went 1-for-1 and Seckler allowed just four hits with seven strikeouts to earn his first win of the season. Williams recorded his first collegiate save.
Staten Island was led by Thomas Marten who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Christian Rice allowed three earned runs in eight innings to take the loss.
Mercy had nine hits and one error and Staten Island had four hits and two errors.
Game 2: Staten Island 4, Mercy 0
Mercy starter Brian Zbytniewski (Whitesboro, N.Y./Whitesboro) and Staten Island starter John Esposito both put up zeroes through the first seven innings of the game. Freshman Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) came in and pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep the game scoreless heading to the ninth inning.
After a Marten single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, junior Nelson Perez Jr. (Miami, Fla./Sussex County CC) surrendered a two-run single to Vincent Weigele, giving the Dolphins a 2-0 lead. Nick Cippoletti followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 and Weigele scored the final run of the inning following a squeeze play with Michael Crocco at the plate to make it 4-0.
Giblin walked and Glennerster singled with one out and Giblin later advanced to third. However, a groundout to first ended the game with Staten Island earning a 4-0 win.
Glennerster went 2-for-4 and Giblin and Sanders both went 1-for-3. Schoen went 1-for-4 and Zbytniewski allowed no runs in seven innings to earn a no-decision. Wirz pitched 1.1 innings with three runs allowed to take the loss.
Staten Island was led by Weigele who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Esposito allowed five hits in nine innings to earn the win.
Mercy had five hits and one error and Staten Island had six hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Staten Island at 12 p.m.
