FLUSHING, N.Y. (Mar. 30, 2024) – Despite two home runs on the day from sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central), the Mercy University baseball team dropped 16-15 and 10-4 decisions to ECC foe Queens College on Saturday afternoon at Hennekens Stadium.
The Mavericks (13-15, 4-4 ECC) drop the season series to the Knights (15-10, 6-2 ECC) with Queens winning three of the four matchups.
Game 1: Queens 16, Mercy 15
Mercy scored four runs in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead. Graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) singled with two outs and Ashline followed with his first home run of the day to right center, making it 2-0. Junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) then singled and later scored on a junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) RBI single to make it 3-0. Junior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) later drew a bases-loaded walk to give Mercy a 4-0 lead.
The score remained 4-0 until the third inning when Queens scored seven runs on six hits to take a 7-4 lead.
The Mavericks retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take an 8-7 lead. Giblin walked to lead off the inning and scored on a Sanders home run to left field, making it 7-6. Caballero later singled and scored after freshman Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-7. Graduate student Brandon Nolasco (Chester, N.Y./Mount Saint Mary College) later scored on a wild pitch to give Mercy an 8-7 lead. Queens evened the score at 8-8 with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Mercy scored two more runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-8 lead. Giblin walked to lead off the inning and later scored on an Ashline RBI single to make it 9-8. Ashline later scored on a fielding error by the center fielder after a Sanders single to give Mercy a 10-8 lead.
Queens recorded eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 16-10 lead. Mercy inched closer with two runs in the seventh inning to make it 16-12. Hoti was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and scored on a Giblin home run to left field.
Mercy scored three more runs in the top of the eighth to make it 16-15. Graduate student Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) singled, Caballero walked and Nolasco singled to load the bases. Hoti then doubled to right center, clearing the bases to make it 16-15. A flyout and groundout ended the inning with the tying run at second.
The Mavericks were unable to score in the ninth inning giving Queens the game one win.
Mercy was led by Ashline who went 2-for-6 with a home run and three RBI. Sanders went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI and Giblin went 3-for-4 with four runs, a home run and two RBI. Hoti went 1-for-2 with four RBI and Caballero went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Nolasco went 2-for-4 with two runs and Glennerster went 1-for-4. Sophomore Riley Williams (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) allowed seven runs in 2.1 innings to earn a no-decision. Graduate student John Gillespie (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) allowed two earned runs in 1.2 innings to take the loss.
Queens was led by Phil Krpata who went 3-for-6 with three RBI. Nate Rodriguez pitched 1.1 innings of relief with two runs allowed to earn the win. Evan Christopher pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the save.
Mercy had 14 hits and one error and Queens had 15 hits and two errors.
Game 2: Queens 10, Mercy 4
Queens scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Ashline led off the top of the second with a home run to left field, making it 2-1.
The Knights scored four runs in the second and two runs in the third inning to take an 8-1 lead.
Mercy scored a run in the fifth inning to make it 8-2. Engmann singled and later scored on a Giblin double to make it 8-2. Queens scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 10-2.
The Mavericks scored their final two runs in the sixth inning to make it 10-4. Sanders singled and sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) doubled to lead off the inning. Caballero then doubled home Sanders to make it 10-3 and freshman Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Nisco to make it 10-4.
Mercy was unable to score in the seventh inning, giving the Knights the game two win.
Mercy was led by Ashline who went 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Ashline now has 11 home runs on the year. The 11 home runs ties the single-season school record for home runs previously set by Jim Schult in 1981 and Mike Ewald in 2001. Engmann went 2-for-4 with a run and Giblin went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Caballero went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Sanders went 1-for-3 with a run. Glennerster went 1-for-2 and Nisco went 1-for-1 with a run. Sophomore Brian Zbytniewski (Utica, N.Y./Whitesboro) allowed three runs in one inning to take the loss.
Queens was led by Matt Filip who went 1-for-4 with three RBI. Michael Vilardi allowed four runs in seven innings to earn the win.
Mercy had eight hits and two errors and Queens had eight hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, April 6th when they play at Millersville.
