DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 18, 2024) – The Mercy University softball team hosts ECC foe D'Youville University for Senior Day on Saturday, April 20th with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, April 20th 12 & 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (11-23, 5-11 ECC), D'Youville (9-25, 3-9 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. D'Youville
Mercy earned a 10-1 win and a 5-4 loss at D'Youville on March 30, 2024.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 7-6 loss and 5-4 win over STAC on Wednesday. The Mavericks were led by sophomore Marina Provencio who pitched a complete game in game two to earn the win and three different Mavericks recorded an RBI in the game two win. Mercy enters the 2024 season picked third in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 15-31 overall and 10-10 in ECC play last season, qualifying for the ECC Tournament for the third straight season. The Mavericks earned the No. 3 seed in the ECC Tournament last season and look to qualify for the ECC Tournament for the fourth straight season under Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo.
Leading the returners for the Mavericks is graduate student Samantha Franck who was named First Team All-ECC last season after hitting .289 with 27 RBI, six home runs and 35 hits. Franck was named to the ECC Honor Roll three times last season and led the team in home runs and was fifth in the ECC in RBI. Senior Shannon Sisco also returns after being tabbed First Team All-ECC a year ago. Sisco ended the 2023 season hitting .373 with 60 hits, 39 runs, eight RBI and 20 stolen bases. She ranked second in the ECC in stolen bases and batting average last season and led the team in runs, hits, and doubles. Junior Victoria Seppala earned First Team All-ECC honors in 2023 and hit .328 with 15 RBI, two home runs, four triples, 42 hits and 28 runs scored. Seppala led the team in triples and was third in runs scored.
Graduate student Nicole Smart also returns after hitting .258 with 18 RBI, 32 hits, five doubles and 10 runs scored in 2023. Senior Mia Harris had four RBI, seven runs scored and five stolen bases last season and returns and sophomore Elizabeth Stark had two home runs, eight RBI and nine runs scored in her rookie campaign. Senior Alexandra Karavias, junior Maddie Lula and sophomore Daedra VanLuvanee return after combining for nine RBI, one home run, 11 hits and six runs scored last season. Sophomore Delaney Baker returns after sitting out last season. Baker hit .561 during her junior year of high school at South Hunterdon Regional and had the most RBI and home runs on the team.
Returning in the circle is graduate student Alexi Benson who was named Second Team All-ECC in 2022 and won six games last season with a team-best 3.73 ERA in 23 games with a team-high 99 strikeouts. Benson was named to the ECC Honor Roll once last season and had 16 complete games and tied for the team in wins in 135 innings pitched. She led the team in strikeouts and innings pitched and set a school record for career strikeouts. Sophomore Marina Provencio also returns after winning a team-high-tying six games last season. She appeared in 22 games making three starts with 30 strikeouts and one save in 52.1 innings pitched. Graduate student Angelina Oquendo made 16 starts in the circle last season and returns after recording one win, one save and 22 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched a year ago. Sophomore Mackayla Secoda returns after winning two games last season with 18 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched. Secoda was named ECC Rookie of the Week once last season and made five starts in the circle.
Lorenzo welcomes a strong recruiting class led by freshmen Onnika DeBruhl, Allison Murphy, Julianna Coluccio, Ryleigh Melendez, Averi Miller, Dylan Reyer and Madison Haack. Murphy was named League Player of the Year, Third Team All-State, All-Section, All-County and All-League at North Rockland High School. Coluccio was tabbed First and Second Team All-Conference during her time at Timber Creek Regional High School and Melendez was named All-League three times and All-Section twice at Lakeland High School. Miller was a four-year varsity player at Arbor View High School in Nevada and hit .356 during her career with 53 hits and 39 RBI. Reyer was named a Newsday Top 100 softball player on Long Island for three straight years and was named All-County three times.
The Mavericks also welcome junior transfers Kimberlee Childs from University of Bridgeport. Childs appeared in 15 games in two seasons at Bridgeport with seven runs scored and four stolen bases.
Mercy has been led at the plate by Coluccio who is batting .300 with a home run, nine RBI and nine runs scored. Graduate student Nicole Smart was named ECC Co-Player of the Week on April 15th and to the ECC Honor Roll on March 25th and has 20 RBI and is hitting .371 with nine doubles, four home runs and 15 runs. Smart recorded her 100th career hit in game one against STAC on April 17th. Senior Shannon Sico was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 18th and April 8th and is hitting a team-high .417 with 19 stolen bases and 25 runs with 15 RBI. Sisco set a new school record with her 53rd career stolen base in game one against Dominican on April 7th. Freshman Allison Murphy is hitting .322 with 38 hits, 25 runs and 18 stolen bases. Freshman Averi Miller was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 11th and on April 1st and is hitting .330 with 25 RBI, 18 runs and eight doubles. Graduate student Samantha Franck was named ECC Player of the Week on April 8th and to the ECC Honor Roll on April 1st. She has a team-high 32 RBI and an ECC-best 15 home runs with 24 runs and is hitting .337. Franck recorded her 100th career RBI against Queens on April 13th and has tied the single-season school record for home runs. Freshman Dylan Reyer is hitting .301 with eight RBI and 16 runs and sophomore Delaney Baker was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 25th and is hitting .396 with 10 RBI and a home run.
The pitching staff is led by graduate student Angelina Oquendo who was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 11th and is 2-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 51.2 innings with 18 strikeouts. Sophomore Mackayla Secoda was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 25th, April 8th and April 15th and is 5-7 with a 3.78 ERA in 89.0 innings with 43 strikeouts. Graduate student Alexi Benson was named to the ECC Honor Roll on April 1st and is 3-8 with a 5.08 ERA in 63.1 innings with 35 strikeouts.
Mercy will honor seniors Mia Harris, Shannon Sisco and Alexandra Karavias and graduate students Alexi Benson, Samantha Franck, Nicole Smart and Angelina Oquendo in a ceremony prior to the games. The Mavericks are 8-6 all-time against D'Youville.
Scouting the Saints
D'Youville is coming off an 11-7 win and 8-2 loss against Staten Island on Saturday. The Saints will play at STAC on Friday before playing at Mercy on Saturday. D'Youville was picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 19-28 last season. The Saints have been led by Halie Furkas who has a team-high 25 RBI and is hitting .330 with 15 runs. Gianna Adamo is hitting a team-high .347 with 17 RBI and 17 runs and Lauren Booth has 17 RBI and three home runs. The pitching staff is led by Sarah Parzych who is 5-9 with a 6.66 ERA in 95.2 innings with 56 strikeouts and by Kendal Lehnen who is 4-17 with a 7.72 ERA in 97.0 innings with 74 strikeouts.
Next Game
Mercy hosts Caldwell on Tuesday, April 23rd at 2:30 p.m.
