SPARKILL, N.Y. (Mar. 26, 2024) – Despite a team-high five hits on the day from freshman Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View), the Mercy University softball team dropped 2-1 and 3-2 decisions at ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Field.
The Mavericks (4-14, 0-4 ECC) fail to build off their wins on Sunday, while the Spartans (12-14, 3-1 ECC) have won four straight meetings against Mercy.
Game 1: St. Thomas Aquinas 2, Mercy 1
Graduate student Alexi Benson (Spotsylvania, Va./Riverbend) pitched four scoreless innings to start, and the game remained scoreless until the top of the fifth when Mercy scored a run to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) singled with one out and stole second before scoring on a Miller single up the middle to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Both Eliana Raposo and Jessica Feerick hit solo home runs in the inning to give St. Thomas Aquinas the lead.
The Mavericks had the tying run reach third in the seventh inning, but a fielder's choice ended the game, giving the Spartans the 2-1 game one win.
Mercy was led by Miller who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and by Murphy who went 2-for-4 with a run. Junior Maddie Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) went 1-for-3 and senior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) went 1-for-4. Benson allowed two runs in six innings with one strikeout to take the loss.
STAC was led by Raposo and Feerick who both went 1-for-3 with a home run. Sarah Clancy allowed one run in seven innings to earn the win.
Mercy had six hits and four errors and STAC had five hits and one error.
Game 2: St. Thomas Aquinas 3, Mercy 2
Mercy jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Murphy singled to lead off the game and stole second before Miller singled. Graduate student Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) then doubled to right center, scoring Murphy to make it 1-0. Graduate student Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) then singled to left field and Smart scored on an error by the left fielder to give Mercy a 2-0 lead.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the third when Raposo hit a three-run home run with one out to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead.
Mercy had the tying and go-ahead runs on first and second in the seventh inning, but a strikeout ended the game, giving STAC the 3-2 game two win.
Mercy was led by Miller who went 3-for-4 and by Smart who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Franck went 2-for-4 and sophomore Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), freshman Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) and Murphy all went 1-for-3. Sisco went 1-for-4 and graduate student Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) pitched three innings with three runs allowed to take the loss. Sophomore Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) pitched three scoreless innings of relief.
STAC was led by Raposo who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and allowed one earned run in five innings to earn the win. Clancy pitched the final two innings to earn the save.
Mercy had 11 hits and one error and STAC had seven hits and two errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, March 30th when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.
