CARY, N.C. (Feb. 16, 2024) – Powered by five shutout innings from graduate student John Gillespie (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) and a combined nine RBI from graduate student Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) and junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) in game one, the Mercy University baseball team opened their 2024 season with an 18-2 win over 2023 NCAA Tournament participant Goldey-Beacom College in game one before falling 9-2 in game two on Friday afternoon at the USA Baseball Training Complex.
The Mavericks (1-1) win their first season opener since 2021 and defeat the regionally-ranked Lightning (1-1) for the second time in six all-time meetings.
Game 1: Mercy 18, Goldey-Beacom 2
After Gillespie tossed a scoreless first inning, the Mavericks bats went to work in the top of the second. Glennerster singled and sophomore Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) doubled to put runners on second and third. Gonzalez then singled bringing home both Glennerster and McAdams to give Mercy a 2-0 lead.
The score remained 2-0 until the top of the fourth when Mercy scored four runs to take a 6-0 lead. Glennerster doubled and scored on a McAdams double to make it 3-0. Senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) later plated McAdams to give Mercy a 4-0 lead and Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. A freshman Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) sacrifice fly gave Mercy a 6-0 lead.
The Mavericks tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 9-0 lead. Junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) led off the inning with a walk and scored on a Glennerster RBI single to make it 7-0. Glennerster and sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) later scored on a Goldey-Beacom error to give the Mavericks a 9-0 lead.
Gonzalez recorded a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Sanders doubled home McAdams in the inning to make it 11-0. A Glennerster RBI single in the eighth inning made it 12-0.
Mercy added six runs in the top of the ninth inning to take an 18-0 lead. Jemison brought home the first run on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) made it 14-0 following a bases-loaded walk and Glennerster hit a three-run triple to make it 17-0. Junior Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) doubled home Glennerster to give Mercy a commanding 18-0 lead.
Goldey-Beacom scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to make it 18-2, but it was not enough, and Mercy earned the 18-2 win.
Glennerster went 5-for-6 with four runs and five RBI and recorded his 100th career hit. Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs and Sanders went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs. Jemison went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run in his collegiate debut and McAdams went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Asaro went 1-for-1 with an RBI and Giblin scored two runs with an RBI. Gillespie pitched five shutout innings with three hits allowed and three strikeouts to earn his first collegiate win. Junior Jack Sullivan (Orlando, Fla./Allegany College of Maryland) pitched two scoreless innings of relief in his Mercy debut. Freshman Jack Esposito (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) pitched 0.1 scoreless innings of relief in his collegiate debut.
Goldey-Beacom was led by Mike Baginski who went 1-for-1 with two RBI. Jake Kelchner pitched four innings with three earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Mercy had 16 hits and two errors and Goldey-Beacom had 10 hits and three errors.
Game 2: Goldey-Beacom 9, Mercy 2
After three scoreless innings, the Lightning scored four runs in the fourth, two in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 9-0 lead after eight innings.
Mercy scored their lone two runs of the game in the bottom of the ninth to make it 9-2. Freshman Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) walked to lead off the inning and sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) followed with a two-run home run to make it 9-2. The Mavericks later loaded the bases, but a flyout ended the game, giving the Lightning the game two win.
The Mavericks were led by Nisco who went 1-for-4 with his first career home run and two RBI. Gonzalez and Ashline both went 2-for-3 and Caballero went 1-for-3. Sophomore Liam Padden (Bronx, N.Y./Canyon Del Oro) recorded his first collegiate hit and sophomore Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) went 1-for-1. Graduate student Ryan Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Chaminade) pitched three innings with four runs allowed and six strikeouts to take the loss. Seniors Joshua Alvarado (Yonkers, N.Y./Saunders) and Nelson Perez Jr. (Miami, Fla./Sussex County CC) each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Goldey-Beacom was led by Jimmy Hallman who went 2-for-4 with four RBI. Nate Miller pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.
Mercy had eight hits and one error and Goldey-Beacom had nine hits and no errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they face Saint Rose at 10 a.m. in Durham, North Carolina.
