DURHAM, N.C. (Feb. 18, 2024) – Despite a home run from freshman Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury), the Mercy University baseball team dropped a 15-8 decision to The College of Saint Rose on Sunday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Mavericks (1-3) have dropped three games in a row, while the Golden Knights (2-1) defeat Mercy for the second straight day.
Mercy was led by Jemison who went 2-for-3 with his first collegiate home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Graduate student Janiel Ramirez (Windsor, Conn./The College of Saint Rose) went 1-for-1 with two RBI and junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) went 2-for-5 and sophomore Liam Padden (Bronx, N.Y./Canyon Del Oro) went 1-for-3. Graduate student Brandon Nolasco (Chester, N.Y./Mount Saint Mary College) went 1-for-2 and senior Ryan Rozinski (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) made the start on the mound and went 0.1 innings with five runs allowed to take the loss. Sophomores Brian Zbytniewski (Utica, N.Y./Whitesboro) and Ryan Ehret (Broad Channel, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) combined to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Saint Rose was led by Louis Gendron and Jack Griffin who both had a team-high three RBI. Mike Weed pitched six innings with three runs allowed to earn the win. Mike Gage pitched three shutout innings to earn the save.
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jemison hit a leadoff home run. The Golden Knights responded with five runs on one hit in the bottom of the first to take a 5-1 lead. The Mavericks scored a run in the second inning to make it 5-2. Ashline tripled and scored on a junior Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) RBI groundout. Saint Rose took a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the second after a Ryan Deo RBI single.
After three straight walks in the top of the third, junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) recorded an RBI groundout to make it 6-3. The score remained 6-3 until the fourth inning when Gendron drove in a run to make it 7-3.
The Golden Knights plated seven runs in the fifth inning to take a 14-3 lead.
Mercy inched closer with five runs in the top of the seventh to make it 14-8. Asaro reached on an error to start the inning and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 14-4. Jemison then plated junior Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) on a single to make it 14-5. Caballero drove home Padden to cut the deficit to 14-6 and Ramirez hit a two-run pinch-hit single to trim the Saint Rose lead to 14-8.
Saint Rose scored their final run in the seventh inning when Nathan Toms hit a home run to make it 15-8. Mercy could not score in the eighth or ninth innings and the Golden Knights earned the 15-8 win.
Mercy had nine hits and no errors and Saint Rose had 16 hits and two errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, February 20th when they play at UNC Pembroke at 3 p.m.
