BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Mar. 15, 2024) – Powered by a game-high three RBI from junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC), the Mercy University baseball team earned a 6-3 win over University of Bridgeport on Friday afternoon at Seaside Park.
The Mavericks (6-10) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win, while the Purple Knights (1-10) have dropped three games in a row.
Mercy was led by Gonzalez who went 4-for-4 with three RBI and by junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) who went 2-for-6 with two RBI. Sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) went 1-for-5 with an RBI and graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) went 2-for-5. Graduate student Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) went 2-for-4 and junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) and sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) both went 2-for-5. Sophomore Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) went 1-for-2 with two runs and freshman Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) pitched six innings with one earned run allowed and four strikeouts to earn his second win of the season. Junior Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief and sophomore Brian Zbytniewski (Utica, N.Y./Whitesboro) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.
Bridgeport was led by Patrick Krempasky who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Joaquin Brasher allowed one earned run in one inning to take the loss.
After two scoreless innings to start, Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Graduate student Janiel Ramirez (Windsor, Conn./The College of Saint Rose) walked and stole second before scoring on a Gonzalez RBI single to right field.
The score stayed 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth when Bridgeport scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead.
The Mavericks plated a run in the top of the sixth to make it 3-2. Gonzalez and Giblin led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Ashline singled home Gonzalez to make it 3-2.
Mercy took the lead for good in the seventh inning, scoring two runs to take a 4-3 lead. Nisco singled and Goins reached on an error by the pitcher before they moved up a base after a wild pitch. Following a strikeout, Gonzalez singled home both Nisco and Goins to put the Mavericks up, 4-3.
The Mavericks tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth inning to build a 6-3 lead. Sanders doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third after a Goins single. Goins then stole second before Caballero recorded a two-run single, scoring Sanders and Goins to make it 6-3.
The combination of Manzoeillo, junior Jack Sullivan (Orlando, Fla./Allegany College of Maryland) and Zbytniewski held the Purple Knights scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, giving Mercy the 6-3 win.
Mercy had 16 hits and two errors and Bridgeport had seven hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host Bridgeport at 12 p.m.
