DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 24, 2024) – Powered by seven different Mavericks recording an RBI and sophomore Riley Williams (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) pitching seven strong innings to earn the win in game two, the Mercy University baseball team dropped an 8-3 decision to ECC foe College of Staten Island before earning an 11-7 come-from-behind win in game two on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (12-12, 3-1 ECC) see their four-game winning streak come to an end with the game one loss and win the season series against the Dolphins (6-13, 1-3 ECC). Mercy is 7-2 in their last nine games.
Game 1: Staten Island 8, Mercy 3
The Dolphins scored a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
Mercy scored two runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead. Junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh) walked to start the rally and freshman Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) singled to put runners on first and third. A groundout moved Scaperotti to second before junior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) hit a single to right field, scoring Caballero and Scaperotti to give Mercy a 2-1 lead.
The score remained 2-1 until the fourth inning when Staten Island scored two runs to take a 3-2 lead.
The Dolphins added two runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Mercy scored their final run in the sixth inning to make it 5-3. Caballero reached on an error by the catcher and later scored on a Hoti RBI single to center field.
Staten Island scored a run in the seventh and two runs in the ninth to take an 8-3 lead. The Dolphins held Mercy scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to earn the 8-3 win in game one.
Mercy was led by Hoti who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and by junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) and Scaperotti who both went 1-for-4. Sophomore Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) allowed three runs in three innings to take the loss.
Staten Island was led by AJ Vigliotti who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Christian Rice pitched six innings with two earned runs allowed to earn the win. Antonio Gautreaux pitched three shutout innings to earn the save.
Mercy had four hits and two errors and Staten Island had 11 hits and two errors.
Game 2: Mercy 11, Staten Island 7
After a scoreless first inning, Staten Island scored four runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Mavericks plated a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-1. Sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) singled to lead off the inning and later advanced to third on a Scaperotti single. Ashline scored following an error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt.
Mercy inched closer with a run in the fourth inning to make it 4-2. Ashline doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) RBI single.
The Dolphins scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-2 lead.
Mercy scored two runs in the seventh inning to make it 7-4. Hoti was hit by a pitch before freshman Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) singled. A groundout moved each runner up a base before graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) singled home both Hoti and Engmann to make it 7-4.
The Mavericks exploded for another big inning in the bottom of the eighth, scoring seven runs to take an 11-7 lead. After a groundout to start the inning, Scaperotti singled before Nisco reached on an error by the shortstop to put runners on first and second. Hoti then singled to center field, allowing Scaperotti to score, making it 7-5. After a Dolphin pitching change, Engmann walked to load the bases before Gonzalez hit a two-run single to right field, scoring Nisco and Hoti to tie the game at 7-7. Giblin was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before a strikeout made two outs in the inning. Junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) then drew a bases-loaded walk after a long at-bat, scoring Engmann to give Mercy the lead at 8-7. Caballero then was hit by a pitch, allowing Gonzalez to score to make it 9-7. Following another pitching change, Scaperotti singled to left center, scoring Giblin and Sanders to give Mercy an 11-7 lead.
Williams held the Dolphins scoreless in the ninth inning, giving Mercy the 11-7 game two win.
Mercy was led by Scaperotti who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and by Giblin who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gonzalez went 1-for-5 with two RBI and Nisco went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Hoti went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Sanders went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Engmann went 1-for-3 and Ashline went 2-for-5 with two runs. Williams pitched seven innings of relief with no earned runs allowed to earn his second win of the season.
Staten Island was led by Chris Polemeni who went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Polemeni recorded one out and allowed four unearned runs to take the loss.
Mercy had 13 hits and three errors and Staten Island had 12 hits and two errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, March 28th when they host Queens at 3 p.m.
