DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 5, 2024) – Powered by a walk-off two-RBI single from freshman Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View) in game one and a walk-off home run in the eighth inning from graduate student Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) in game two, the Mercy University softball team earned 9-8 and 12-11 wins over ECC foe The College of Staten lsland in their home opener on Friday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (7-15, 3-5 ECC) have won three of their last four games and have won four straight meetings against the Dolphins (10-16, 3-3 ECC).
Game 1: Mercy 9, Staten Island 8
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Senior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) singled with one out and later scored on a graduate student Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) RBI single.
The score remained 1-0 until the third inning when Mercy scored another run to take a 2-0 lead. Sisco tripled to lead off the inning and Miller brought Sisco home on an RBI single to center field.
Staten Island scored a run in the fourth inning to make it 2-1. The Mavericks got the run back in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Junior Maddie Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a Miller sacrifice fly.
The Dolphins scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. The Mavericks continued to battle and scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-4 lead. Sisco doubled, Miller singled and Smart walked to load the bases. After a foul out made two outs in the inning Franck hit a grand slam to center field giving Mercy a 7-4 lead.
Staten Island responded with four runs in the top of the seventh to take an 8-7 lead. Mercy scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the 9-8 walk-off win. Freshman Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) walked with two outs before Sisco doubled to put runners on second and third. Miller then singled to left field, scoring both Murphy and Sisco to give Mercy the 9-8 walk-off win.
Mercy was led by Franck who went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI and Miller went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Smart went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Sisco went 5-for-5 with four runs. Murphy went 1-for-4 and Lula went 3-for-4. Freshman Julianna Coluccio (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Regional) went 1-for-4 and graduate student Alexi Benson (Spotsylvania, Va./Riverbend) allowed eight runs in six innings to take a no-decision. Sophomore Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn her third win of the season.
Staten Island was led by Aliveah Warner who went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI. Alexandra Frenza allowed two runs in 0.2 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 16 hits and one error and Staten Island had 13 hits and no errors.
Game 2: Mercy 12, Staten Island 11 (8 Innings)
Staten Island scored three runs in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Mercy plated a run in the bottom of the first to make it 3-1. Sisco walked and stole second before scoring on a Smart RBI double.
The score stayed 3-1 until the fourth inning when Mercy exploded for seven runs to take an 8-3 lead. Sophomore Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) doubled, and freshman Onnika DeBruhl (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) singled to lead off the inning before Lula singled to load the bases. Freshman Ryleigh Melendez (Yorktown, N.Y./Lakeland) then recorded an infield single, scoring Stark to make it 3-2. Murphy then doubled to left center, scoring DeBruhl and Lula to give Mercy a 4-3 lead. Sisco then brought home Melendez on a groundout to make it 5-3. Murphy later scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-3. Miller doubled and later scored after Smart reached on an error by the left fielder, giving Mercy a 7-3 lead. Smart later scored after Stark reached on an error by the third baseman, making it 8-3.
Staten Island scored two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead. Franck came through with a solo home run to right center with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 9-9.
The Dolphins retook the lead at 11-9 in the top of the seventh after scoring two runs. The Mavericks answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 11-11. Coluccio singled with one out and scored on a Melendez RBI double to make it 11-10. A groundout moved Melendez to third and made two outs in the inning. Sisco singled to the shortstop, scoring Melendez to tie the game at 11-11 after seven innings.
Staten Island loaded the bases in the top of eighth with one out, but graduate student Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) recorded a foul out and line out to keep the Dolphins scoreless.
Mercy won the game in the bottom of the eighth when Franck hit the first pitch she saw over the left center field fence, giving the Mavericks the 12-11 walk-off win.
Mercy was led by Franck who went 3-for-5 with two home runs and two RBI and by Sisco who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sisco tied the school record for career stolen bases with her 52nd in game two, tying the previous record set by Alexis Crawford. Murphy went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Smart went 1-for-5 with an RBI. Melendez went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Miller went 2-for-5. Stark went 1-for-4 and DeBruhl went 1-for-2. Lula went 1-for-3 and Coluccio went 1-for-1. Oquendo allowed three runs in 5.0 innings to earn her second win of the season.
Staten Island was led by Olivia Wanser who went 4-for-5 with five RBI. Frenza allowed one run in 0.1 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 16 hits and one error and Staten Island had 15 hits and two errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, April 7th when they host Dominican at 12 p.m.
