LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. (Apr. 20, 2024) – Powered by eight different Mavericks recording an RBI on the day and wins from senior Ryan Rozinski (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) and junior Scott Scheppy (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy), the Mercy University baseball team earned 11-6 and 6-4 wins over ECC foe Lincoln University on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (17-23, 7-8 ECC) have won three games in a row and are now 20-1 all-time against the Lions (11-26, 1-14 ECC).
Game 1: Mercy 11, Lincoln 6
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Junior Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) led off the game with a walk and later scored on a sophomore Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) RBI single to make it 1-0.
The Mavericks made it 2-0 with a run in the second inning. Junior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a Caballero sacrifice fly. Lincoln scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1.
Mercy scored three runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. Graduate student Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville Dewitt) walked and stole second before scoring on a graduate student Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) RBI single to make it 3-1. Junior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) later singled to put runners on first and second before Hoti hit a two-run double to center field, making it 5-1. The Lions scored another unearned run in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-2.
Mercy recorded three runs in the fifth inning to make it 8-2. Ashline singled and Gonzalez doubled to start the inning before Hoti singled to left field, scoring both Ashline and Gonzalez to make it 7-2. Caballero later singled home Hoti to make it 8-2.
Mercy added a run in the seventh inning to make it 9-2. Sophomore John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) doubled and later scored on a Caballero RBI single to make it 9-2.
Lincoln scored four runs in the eighth inning to make it 9-6. Mercy answered with two runs in the ninth inning to take an 11-6 lead. Hoti was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Nisco followed with a two-run home run to center field.
Graduate student Ryan Dieguez (Westbury, N.Y./Chaminade) retired the Lions in order in the bottom of the ninth to give Mercy the 11-6 game one win.
Mercy was led by Hoti who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and by Nisco who went 2-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season two RBI. Caballero went 2-for-5 with three RBI and Ashline went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Glennerster went 1-for-5 with an RBI and Gonzalez went 2-for-5. Giblin went 1-for-4 and freshman Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) went 1-for-6. Rozinski allowed no earned runs in six innings with six strikeouts to earn his third win. Dieguez pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Lincoln was led by Jaden Greenidge who went 1-for-3 with three RBI. Luis Reinoso allowed seven runs in four innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 15 hits and two errors and Lincoln had seven hits and one error.
Game 2: Mercy 6, Lincoln 4 (8 Innings)
Lincoln scored a run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead.
The Mavericks answered with two runs in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. Caballero singled home freshman Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River), who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning, to make it 1-1. Sophomore Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) then doubled home Caballero to give Mercy a 2-1 lead. Lincoln evened the score at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the third.
Lincoln took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning on a Jaden Greenidge home run. Mercy tied the score at 3-3 in the sixth inning. Giblin led off the inning with a double and later scored on a Gonzalez RBI single.
Mercy retook the lead at 4-3 in the top of the seventh. Engmann led off the inning with a single and scored on a Glennerster RBI single to make it 4-3. Lincoln tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run scoring on a wild pitch, sending the game into extra innings.
Mercy scored two runs in the top of the eighth to take a 6-4 lead. Freshman Joey Bodin (Matawan, N.J./Matawan Regional) doubled before Engmann doubled Bodin home to make it 5-4. Caballero then tripled home Engmann to give Mercy an insurance run and a 6-4 lead.
Scheppy retired the Lions in order in the bottom of the eighth, giving Mercy the 6-4 game two win and the sweep.
Mercy was led by Caballero who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and by Engmann who went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs. Bodin went 2-for-4 and Gonzalez went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Goins went 1-for-5 with an RBI and Giblin went 2-for-3. Glennerster went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Nisco went 1-for-4. Junior Jack Sullivan (Orlando, Fla./Allegany College of Maryland) allowed two runs in two innings to take a no-decision. Scheppy allowed two runs in six innings of relief with five strikeouts to earn his first win of the season.
Lincoln was led by Jaden Greenidge who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and allowed two unearned runs in 1.1 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 15 hits and one error and Lincoln had six hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Lincoln at 12 p.m.
