PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (Mar. 9, 2024) – Despite a home run from sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) and RBI from juniors Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) and Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy), the Mercy University baseball team dropped a 7-5 decision to Pace University on Saturday afternoon at Peter X. Finnerty Field.
The Mavericks (5-9) have dropped two games in a row, while the Setters (3-4) have won two games in a row.
Mercy was led by Ashline who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and his team-leading fourth home run of the season. Sanders went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Hoti went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) went 2-for-3 with two runs and freshman Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) went 3-for-5. Sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) went 1-for-3 and freshman Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) went 1-for-3 with a run. Sophomore Riley Williams (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) allowed two earned runs in 4.2 innings to earn a no-decision. Junior Jack Sullivan (Orlando, Fla./Allegany College of Maryland) allowed two runs in an inning of work to take the loss.
Pace was led by Anthony Labita who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Brendan McCann allowed two runs in four innings of relief to earn the win.
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Scaperotti singled with two outs in the inning and scored on a Hoti triple to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
Mercy added two runs in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) reached on an error and Giblin and Ashline walked to load the bases. Gonzalez then scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 and Sanders plated Giblin on a sacrifice fly to give Mercy a 3-0 lead. Pace scored two runs in the third inning to make it 3-2.
The Mavericks tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Giblin singled to leadoff the inning and Ashline followed with a two-run home run to give Mercy a 5-2 lead.
Pace scored a run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 5-5 after seven innings. The Setters scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead. Labita doubled home the go-ahead run and Matt Franco singled home Labita to make it 7-5.
Mercy loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but a groundout to second ended the game with the go-ahead runs on base.
Mercy had 10 hits and three errors and Pace had five hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host Pace at 12 p.m.
