DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 15, 2025) – Powered by a team-high six hits and four RBI on the day from senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC), the Mercy University baseball team earned 9-1 and 10-4 wins over Kutztown University on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (13-9) have won two games in a row and take three out of four against the Golden Bears (6-10). Mercy is off to their best 22-game start since 2021 when they started 14-8.
Game 1: Mercy 9, Kutztown 1
The game remained scoreless until the third inning when Mercy took a 1-0 lead. Gonzalez singled and later scored on an error by the pitcher after a failed pickoff attempt.
Kutztown tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning with a run on two hits.
Mercy exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-1 lead. Freshman Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) singled to lead off the inning and scored on a Gonzalez RBI single to give the Mavericks a 2-1 lead. Senior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) scored following an error by the pitcher after junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) reached on a single to make it 3-1. Junior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) later singled home both Gonzalez and Goins to give Mercy a 5-1 lead. Junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) brought home two more runs on an RBI single to left center, making it 7-1. Junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) then hit a triple, scoring McAdams to make it 8-1. Hoti later singled home Nisco to give Mercy a 9-1 lead.
Junior Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) and freshman Sammy Mendez (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) combined to pitch a scoreless sixth and seventh innings to give Mercy the 9-1 game one win.
Mercy was led by Ashline who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and by McAdams who went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI and Nisco went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Hoti went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Goins went 2-for-4. Senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) went 1-for-3 and Hesselbirg went 1-for-3 with a run. Wirz pitched the first 6.0 innings with one run allowed and two strikeouts to earn his third win of the season. Mendez struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief.
Kutztown was led by Nick Varda who went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Paul Moretski allowed eight earned runs in 5.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 12 hits and one error and Kutztown had six hits and four errors.
Game 2: Mercy 10, Kutztown 4
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Gonzalez singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch.
Kutztown scored two runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Mercy regained the lead with seven runs in the third inning to take an 8-2 lead. Sophomore Joey Bodin (Matawan, N.J./Matawan Regional) singled to lead off the inning and scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-2. Ashline later singled home Gonzalez to give Mercy a 3-2 lead and McAdams doubled down the right field line, scoring Goins and Ashline to make it 5-2. Nisco then singled home McAdams to give the Mavericks a 6-2 lead. Bodin later singled home Nisco to make it 7-2 and Gonzalez singled home senior Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) to give Mercy an 8-2 lead.
The Golden Bears scored two runs in the fifth inning to make it 8-4. Mercy answered back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 10-4 lead. Sanders, Asaro and Bodin singled to load the bases before Gonzalez singled home Sanders and Asaro to make it 10-4.
Freshman Nicholas Stella (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) and senior Gaetano Pennisi (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh innings to give Mercy the 10-4 game two win and the sweep.
Mercy was led by Gonzalez who went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. Bodin went 3-for-3 with an RBI and McAdams went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Ashline went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Nisco went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Sanders went 1-for-4 and Asaro went 1-for-3 with two runs. Freshman Andre Jenkins (Chester, N.Y./Chester Academy) pitched the first 4.0 innings with one earned run allowed to earn his second win of the season. Stella and Pennisi each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Kutztown was led by Bryce Schafer who went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Abel Saft allowed eight runs in 3.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 12 hits and no errors and Kutztown had six hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, March 18th when they play at Pace at 3 p.m.
