MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 22, 2025) – Powered by eight different Mavericks recording an RBI and strong pitching performances from junior Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) and senior Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon), the Mercy University baseball team earned 15-1 and 4-2 wins over Adelphi University on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (5-3) have won three games in a row and earn a doubleheader sweep against the Panthers (1-2) for the first time since 2003. Mercy is off to their best eight-game start since 2021.
Game 1: Mercy 15, Adelphi 1
The game remained scoreless until the third inning when Mercy scored five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a junior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. Sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) then scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 and senior Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) later hit a three-run double, giving Mercy a 5-0 lead.
The Mavericks added two more runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Goins singled and Jemison doubled to lead off the inning before junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) singled home Goins to make it 6-0. Junior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) then grounded out to third, scoring Jemison to give Mercy a 7-0 advantage.
Mercy made it 8-0 in the seventh inning. Ruland, senior Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) and Goins singled to lead off the inning before Ruland scored after a double play.
Adelphi got a run back in the eighth inning to make it 8-1.
Mercy exploded for seven runs in the ninth inning to take a 15-1 lead. Ruland walked and Asaro singled to lead off the inning before Goins doubled, scoring Ruland to make it 9-1. Asaro then scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-1 and Goins later scored on a Nisco double to give Mercy an 11-1 lead. Bernard Jr. then singled home Jemison, making it 12-1 and junior Anthony Dolce (North Salem, N.Y./Westchester CC) capped off the scoring with a pinch-hit three-run home run to give Mercy a commanding 15-1 lead.
Freshman Ethan McGarry (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, giving Mercy the 15-1 win.
Mercy was led by Ruland who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Nisco went 2-for-6 with two RBI and Bernard Jr. went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Goins went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs and Asaro went 2-for-6. Dolce went 1-for-1 with three RBI and his first home run of the season and Jemison went 2-for-5 with three runs. Senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) went 1-for-3 and Wirz pitched 6.0 shutout innings with just three hits allowed and five strikeouts to earn his first win of the season. McGarry pitched 3.0 innings with five strikeouts to earn his first collegiate save.
Adelphi was led by Joe Pellegrino who went 1-for-3 with an RBI. John Carver allowed five runs in 2.2 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 16 hits and no errors and Adelphi had four hits and no errors.
Game 2: Mercy 4, Adelphi 2
The game was 0-0 until the third inning when Mercy scored a run to make it 1-0. Nisco was hit by a pitch with two outs and stole second before scoring on an Ashline single.
The Mavericks added two more runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead. Junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) was hit by a pitch, sophomore Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) walked and freshman Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) reached on an error to load the bases. Sophomore Joey Bodin (Matawan, N.J./Matawan Regional) then sacrificed home McAdams to make it 2-0 and Goins grounded out to shortstop, scoring Engmann to make it 3-0.
The Panthers scored two runs in the fifth inning to cut Mercy's lead to one, 3-2.
Mercy got one run back in the fifth inning when Nisco walked to lead off the inning and later scored on a McAdams sacrifice fly, giving Mercy a 4-2 lead.
Freshman Gordon Votruba (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings, giving Mercy the 4-2 game two win and the sweep.
McAdams went 1-for-1 with an RBI and Ashline went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Jemison went 1-for-2 and Nisco went 1-for-1 with two runs. Manzoeillo allowed no earned runs in 4.2 innings to earn his first win of the season. Votruba pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to earn his first collegiate save.
Adelphi was led by Greyson Pizzonia who went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Jack Carr allowed one run in 3.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had four hits and three errors and Adelphi had seven hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they face Bentley at 9 a.m. in Myrtle Beach.
