STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Apr. 16, 2023) – Powered by a combined eight RBI from graduate student Steven Schoen (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Sacred Heart University) and freshman Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central), the Mercy College baseball team earned a 16-8 win over ECC foe College of Staten Island on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks (9-26, 5-11 ECC) have won four of their last five games and win three out of four of the meetings against the Dolphins (11-20, 3-9 ECC).
Schoen went 2-for-4 with his team-leading third home run of the season and a game-high-tying four RBI. Ashline went 3-for-5 with a career-high four RBI and sophomore Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) went 3-for-6 with an RBI. Freshman John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI and junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Sophomore Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) went 2-for-6 with an RBI and freshman Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Senior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and senior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-Dewitt) went 1-for-5 with an RBI. Junior Gabriel Soto (Tucson, Ariz./Mesabi Range College) pitched 1.1 innings with four runs allowed to take a no-decision. Sophomore Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) pitched a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win. Junior Gaetano Pennisi (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea), senior Ryan Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Chaminade) and graduate student Ryan DeMille (Millstone, N.J./Dominican University) combined to toss four shutout innings of relief.
Staten Island was led by Vincent Weigele who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Alex Martinez allowed three earned runs in one inning to take the loss.
The Mavericks took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Caballero led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. McAdams later reached on catcher's interference before Schoen homered to right field to make it 3-0. The Dolphins scored two runs in the bottom of the first to make it 3-2 after one inning.
Mercy scored a run in the second inning to take a 4-2 lead. Nisco singled and later scored on a Caballero RBI single through the right side. The Dolphins scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-4 lead after two innings.
The Dolphins added a run in the third inning and another in the fourth inning to take an 8-4 lead after four innings.
The score remained 8-4 until the sixth inning when Mercy scored seven runs to take an 11-8 lead. Schoen walked and Gonzalez and Sanders singled to load the bases. Nisco then reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error by the third baseman, allowing both Schoen and Gonzalez to score to make it 8-6. Ashline then singled to left field, scoring both Nisco and Sanders to tie the game at 8-8. Giblin later brought home Ashline with a sacrifice fly to right field to give Mercy a 9-8 lead. Glennerster then doubled home Caballero to make it 10-8 and Schoen singled home Glennerster to give Mercy an 11-8 lead.
Mercy scored five more runs in the eighth inning to take a 16-8 lead. Giblin singled to lead off the inning and scored on a McAdams RBI single to left center, making it 12-8. Gonzalez brought home McAdams with a double to right center to make it 13-8. Sanders brought in Gonzalez with a single through the left side to give Mercy a 14-8 lead. Ashline singled home the final two runs of the inning to put the Mavericks up 16-8.
Dieguez pitched a scoreless eighth inning and DeMille tossed a scoreless ninth to give Mercy the win.
Mercy had 19 hits and three errors and Staten Island had 18 hits and three errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, April 21st when they play at Queens at 3 p.m.
