STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Mar. 22, 2024) – Powered by a team-high five RBI on the day from freshman Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River), a game-high two home runs and four RBI from sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) in game two and wins on the mound from freshman Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) and senior Ryan Rozinski (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North), the Mercy University baseball team opened ECC play with 8-4 and 11-0 wins over College of Staten Island on Friday afternoon at the CSI Baseball Complex.
The Mavericks (11-11, 2-0 ECC) have won four games in a row and start 2-0 in ECC play for the first time since 2022. Mercy has won five of the last six meetings against the Dolphins (5-12, 0-2 ECC).
Game 1: Mercy 8, Staten Island 4
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) led off the inning with a triple and scored on a sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) RBI single to make it 1-0. Engmann later singled home both junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) and Nisco to make it 3-0. The Dolphins scored a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1.
Mercy added a run in the fourth inning to make it 4-1. Sophomore Liam Padden (Bronx, N.Y./Canyon Del Oro) reached on an error by the second baseman and later scored following a failed pickoff attempt. Staten Island scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-3.
The score remained 4-3 until the seventh inning when Mercy scored two runs to take a 6-3 lead. Ashline led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a Padden RBI groundout to make it 5-3. Engmann was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Caballero to give Mercy a 6-3 lead.
The Mavericks tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning to make it 8-3. Graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a Sanders RBI triple to make it 7-3. Caballero then plated Sanders on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-3.
Staten Island scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth to make it 8-4 but could not score again and Mercy earned the 8-4 game one win.
Mercy was led by Engmann who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and by Sanders who went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Caballero went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Nisco went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Ashline and junior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) both went 1-for-4. Scaperotti pitched five innings with one earned run allowed and five strikeouts to earn his third win. Junior Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) pitched three scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts and graduate student John Gillespie (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Staten Island was led by Nicholas Rodriguez who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Ryan Kehoe allowed three earned runs in six innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 10 hits and two errors and Staten Island had five hits and four errors.
Game 2: Mercy 11, Staten Island 0
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy recorded three runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Sanders walked to lead off the inning and later scored on a Hoti RBI single to make it 1-0. Engmann then singled home Scaperotti to make it 2-0 and Hoti later scored after an error by the shortstop to make it 3-0.
The Mavericks increased their lead to 5-0 in the third inning when Giblin led off the inning with a single and was brought home by an Ashline two-run home run.
Mercy took a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning. Scaperotti reached on an error and later scored on an Engmann RBI double. The Mavericks added three more runs in the fifth inning to take a 9-0 lead. Ashline and Caballero singled before Nisco tripled to bring both Ashline and Caballero home to make it 8-0. Scaperotti then singled home Nisco to make it 9-0.
The Mavericks scored their final two runs in the sixth inning to take an 11-0 lead. Junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) was hit by a pitch and scored on Ashline's second home run of the game. Sophomore Ryan Ehret (Broad Channel, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh inning to give Mercy the 11-0 game two win.
Mercy was led by Ashline who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. He now has nine home runs on the year. Engman went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Nisco went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Scaperotti went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Hoti went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Giblin and Sanders both went 1-for-3 and Caballero went 1-for-4. Rozinski pitched five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to earn his second win.
Staten Island was led by Rodriguez who went 1-for-1. Gerard Santos pitched four innings with four earned runs allowed to take the loss.
Mercy had 13 hits and no errors and Staten Island had five hits and two errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, March 24th when they host CSI for a doubleheader at 12 p.m.
