DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 8, 2024) – The Mercy University softball team plays at Bloomfield College for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 9th starting at 3 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 9th 3 & 5 p.m.
Records: Mercy (8-16), Bloomfield (12-15)
Location: Bloomfield, N.J.
Last Meeting vs. Bloomfield
Mercy earned 13-12 and 11-10 wins over Bloomfield on March 18, 2023.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 6-3 loss and 8-2 win over Dominican on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by graduate student Samantha Franck who had a team-high three home runs and six RBI on the day. 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 .313 with a home run, eight RBI and eight runs scored. Graduate student Nicole Smart was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 25th and has 13 RBI and is hitting .339 with nine doubles, one home run and 11 runs. Senior Shannon Sico was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 18th and is hitting a team-high .442 with 16 stolen bases and 19 runs with nine 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 .288 with 23 hits, 15 runs and a team-high-tying 16 stolen bases. Freshman Averi Miller was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 11th and on April 1st and is hitting .346 with 15 RBI, 14 runs and four doubles. Graduate student Samantha Franck was named to the ECC Honor Roll last week and has a team-high 24 RBI and an ECC-best nine home runs with 18 runs and freshman Dylan Reyer is hitting .269 with two RBI and 10 runs. Sophomore Delaney Baker was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 25th and is hitting .400 with seven RBI.
The pitching staff is led by graduate student Angelina Oquendo who was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 11th and is 2-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 42.0 innings with 16 strikeouts. Sophomore Mackayla Secoda was named to the ECC Honor Roll on March 25th and is 4-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 55.2 innings with 33 strikeouts. Graduate student Alexi Benson was named to the ECC Honor Roll last week and is 2-6 with a 4.87 ERA in 46.0 innings with 26 strikeouts.
Mercy has won six straight meetings against Bloomfield.
Scouting the Bears
Bloomfield is coming off 5-3 and 4-3 wins over Staten Island on Sunday. The Bears were picked 10th in the CACC Preseason Poll after going 16-34 last season, qualifying for the CACC Tournament. Bloomfield has been led by Jocelyn Moody who is hitting .344 with a team-high 17 RBI and five home runs. Sierra Albritton is hitting a team-high .349 with a team-high 17 stolen bases and 24 runs to go with seven RBI. Naya Olacio is second on the team with 14 RBI and Danielle Walters and Raelyn D'Onofrio both have 12 RBI. Walters leads the pitching staff with a 1.92 ERA and 7-5 record with 39 strikeouts in 65.2 innings. Rayn Romero is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 33.2 innings with 12 strikeouts and Moody is 3-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 35.1 innings with 18 strikeouts.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Molloy on Friday, April 12th at 3:30 p.m.
