BUFFALO, N.Y. (Apr. 2, 2023) – Powered by a game-high-tying two RBI from senior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) and freshman Cayla Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) in game one, the Mercy College softball team earned an 8-7 win over ECC foe D'Youville University before falling 10-8 in game two on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks (6-22, 1-5 ECC) snap a four-game losing streak with the game one win and earn their first ECC win. The Saints (8-18, 2-4 ECC) snap a four-game losing streak with the game two win.
Game 1: Mercy 8, D'Youville 7
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Junior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) led off the game by reaching on a hit by pitch and sophomore Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) reached on a fielder's choice. Seppala later scored on a Franck RBI single to centerfield to make it 1-0.
The game remained 1-0 until the top of the third when Mercy scored another run to take a 2-0 lead. Sisco tripled to lead off the inning and scored on another Franck RBI single to make it 2-0. The Saints scored a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1.
The Mavericks scored two more runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Crawford tripled and scored after Sisco reached on an error to make it 3-1. Seppala then tripled down the left field line, scoring Sisco to make it 4-1. D'Youville plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-3.
Mercy scored three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Senior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) reached on an error and senior Hailey Puglia (Holtsville, N.Y./Assumption University) singled to put runners on first and second. Crawford then hit a two-run double to left center, scoring both Smart and Puglia to make it 6-3. Crawford scored after Sisco reached on an error to give Mercy a 7-3 lead.
The score was 7-3 until the bottom of the sixth when the Saints scored four runs to tie the game at 7-7.
Mercy scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh to take an 8-7 lead. Freshman Daedra VanLuvanee (Walnutport, Pa./Northampton Area) reached on an error by the second baseman and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Mavericks the lead. Freshman Marina Provencio (Saugus, Calif./Saugus) struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to give Mercy the game one win.
Crawford and Franck both went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Puglia went 2-for-4. Sisco went 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI and Seppala and Smart both went 1-for-4. Senior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched six innings with five earned runs allowed to take a no-decision. Provencio earned her third win of the season.
D'Youville was led by Laura Beck who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Cassie Crerar allowed four unearned runs in three innings to take the loss.
Mercy had nine hits and four errors and D'Youville had 10 hits and four errors.
Game 2: D'Youville 10, Mercy 8
Mercy jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Sisco led off the game with a triple and scored on a senior Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) RBI single to make it 1-0. Smart drove in the second run on a double to give Mercy a 2-0 lead.
The Mavericks scored three more runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. Puglia singled and later scored on a Sisco RBI single to make it 3-0. Johnston later hit a two-run double to score Sisco and Seppala, giving Mercy a 5-0 lead.
D'Youville scored four runs in the bottom of the third to cut Mercy's lead to 5-4.
The Mavericks plated a run in the fourth inning to take a 6-4 lead. Crawford singled and scored on a Seppala RBI single to make it 6-4. The Saints scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 7-6 lead.
Mercy retook the lead in the top of the sixth with two runs to take an 8-7 lead. Crawford led off the inning with a single and scored on a Johnston RBI single to make it 7-7. Franck then singled home Johnston to give the Mavericks an 8-7 lead. D'Youville scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 10-8 lead.
The Mavericks went down in order in the top of the seventh to give D'Youville the 10-8 win.
Johnston went 3-for-4 with four RBI and Sisco went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Franck went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Seppala went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Smart went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Crawford went 2-for-4 with two runs. Puglia and freshman Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) both went 1-for-4. Senior Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) pitched 2.2 innings with four runs allowed to take a no-decision. Provencio allowed six runs in 2.1 innings to take the loss.
D'Youville was led by Hannah Bardeen who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Cassie Crerar pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.
Mercy had 14 hits and no errors and D'Youville had 11 hits and one error.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, April 4th when they host Staten Island at 2:30 p.m.
