NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Mar. 20, 2024) – Despite three different Mavericks recording an RBI, the Mercy University softball team dropped 7-1 and 6-4 decisions to Southern Connecticut State University on Wednesday afternoon at Pelz Field.
The Mavericks (2-10) have dropped six games in a row, while the Owls (4-8) snapped a three-game losing streak.
Game 1: Southern Connecticut State 7, Mercy 1
The game remained scoreless until the third inning when Gabriella Festa homered for the Owls to make it 1-0.
Mercy tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning. Freshman Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) singled with two outs in the inning and stole second before advancing to third after freshman Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) reached on an error by the third baseman. Reyer scored on a double steal with Murphy stealing second to tie the game at 1-1. A groundout to the pitcher ended the inning.
Southern Connecticut State scored six runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-1 lead. Mercy went down in order in the seventh, giving the Owls the 7-1 win.
Mercy was led by Reyer who went 1-for-2 with a run and by senior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) and graduate student Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) who both went 1-for-3. Sophomore Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) allowed three earned runs in six innings to take the loss.
Southern Connecticut State was led by Festa who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Jessica Perucki pitched a complete game with no earned runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had three hits and three errors and Southern Connecticut State had eight hits and one error.
Game 2: Southern Connecticut State 6, Mercy 4
The Owls took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a double steal. Southern Connecticut State added three more runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead.
The Mavericks tied the score at 4-4 with four runs in the fourth inning. Sisco led off the inning with a hit by pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a freshman Julianna Coluccio (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Regional) RBI single. Coluccio then stole second and graduate student Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) was hit by a pitch before sophomore Delaney Baker (Lambertville, N.J./South Hunterdon Regional) hit a two-run double to left field, scoring Coluccio and Franck to make it 4-3. Reyer later plated Baker on an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at 4-4. A groundout to third ended the inning with the go-ahead run at second.
Southern Connecticut State scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-4. Mercy could not score in the fifth inning and the game was called in the bottom of the fifth with the Owls earning the 6-4 win.
Mercy was led by Coluccio who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and by Baker who went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Reyer went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Smart went 1-for-3. Sophomore Marina Provencio (Saugus, Calif./Saugus) allowed six runs in 3.1 innings to take the loss.
Southern Connecticut State was led by Emily Lange who went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Ashley Lewis allowed three earned runs in five innings to earn the win.
Mercy had six hits and no errors and Southern Connecticut State had seven hits and one error.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Queens at 2 p.m.
