NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Mar. 12, 2025) – Powered by a home run and a game-high five RBI from senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC), the Mercy University baseball team earned a 9-4 win over regionally-ranked Southern Connecticut State University on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mavericks (10-8) have won two games in a row and split the season series with the Owls (9-4). Mercy snaps Southern Connecticut State's seven-game winning streak. The Owls were ranked No. 5 in the NCBWA East Region Poll released Monday.
Mercy was led by Sanders who went 4-for-5 with his second home run of the season and a game-high five RBI. Junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) went 4-for-4 with three runs and sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) went 2-for-6 with two runs. Junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) went 1-for-4 with a run and junior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Freshman Gordon Votruba (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) allowed four runs in 3.0 innings to take a no-decision. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts and freshman Ethan McGarry (Cohoes, N.Y/Shaker) tossed 2.2 shutout innings with one strikeout to earn his first collegiate win.
Southern Connecticut State was led by Derrick Jagello who went 1-for-2 with a home run and four RBI. Harry Roy allowed five earned runs in 2.1 innings to take the loss.
The Owls took a 4-0 lead in the second inning on a Jagello grand slam.
The score remained 4-0 until the top of the fifth when Mercy scored a run to make it 4-1. McAdams singled to lead off the inning and scored on a Sanders double.
Mercy scored two runs in the sixth inning to make it 4-3. Sanders drove in two runs on a single to right field with two outs.
The Mavericks tied the game at 4-4 in the seventh inning. Jemison singled to lead off the inning and scored on a junior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) sacrifice fly.
Mercy took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Sanders hit a two-run home run after McAdams singled, giving the Mavericks a 6-4 lead. Mercy scored two more runs in the inning when Bernard Jr. recorded a two-run single that scored Nisco and Jemison to make it 8-4.
McAdams scored on an error by the pitcher in the ninth inning to give Mercy a 9-4 lead. McGarry pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to give the Mavericks the 9-4 win.
Mercy had 13 hits and no errors and Southern Connecticut State had five hits and three errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, March 14th when they play at Kutztown for a doubleheader at 12 p.m.
