POMONA, N.Y. (Mar. 22, 2025) – Powered by a home run and a game-high two RBI from junior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) in game two, the Mercy University baseball team dropped a 15-5 decision in game one at ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College before earning a 5-4 win in game two on Saturday afternoon at Clover Stadium.
The Mavericks (14-12, 1-2 ECC) snap a three-game losing streak with the game two win and snap a five-game losing streak to the Spartans (5-15, 2-1 ECC).
Game 1: STAC 15, Mercy 5
STAC scored a run in the bottom of the first on an Anthony Dimarco RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
Mercy evened the score at 1-1 with a run in the second inning. Junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) singled to lead off the inning and scored on a senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) RBI double.
The Spartans scored five runs in the bottom of the second and five runs in the third inning to take an 11-1 lead.
The Mavericks scored two runs in the fourth inning to make it 11-3. Junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) singled with one out and scored on a Bernard Jr. double to make it 11-2. Senior Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) later plated Bernard Jr. on a sacrifice fly to make it 11-3.
STAC scored two runs in the fifth inning to take a 13-3 lead.
Mercy scored a run in the seventh inning to make it 13-4. Junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) singled with one out and scored on a junior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) RBI single. The Spartans scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 15-4.
Mercy scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth to make it 15-5, but were unable to score again, giving STAC the 15-5 game one win.
Mercy was led by Sanders who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and by Goins who went 2-for-4 with two runs. Bernard Jr. went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Nisco went 2-for-4. Ashline went 1-for-5 with an RBI and McAdams went 1-for-3 with a run. Freshman Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) went 1-for-1 and junior Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) allowed six runs in 2.0 innings to take the loss. Senior Will Sullo (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Rockland CC) pitched 0.2 innings with no runs allowed and senior Gaetano Pennisi (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) pitched 4.0 innings with three runs allowed.
STAC was led by Dimarco who went 4-for-5 with four RBI. Andrew Schoelles pitched a complete game with four earned runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had 10 hits and two errors and STAC had 17 hits and two errors.
Game 2: Mercy 5, STAC 4
STAC took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a Nick Oelcher two-run double.
Mercy got a run back in the third inning to make it 2-1. Goins singled and sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) doubled to put runners on second and third. Nisco then hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Goins to score.
The Mavericks took the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs to take a 3-2 lead. Sanders doubled with two outs and scored on a senior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) RBI double to make it 2-2. Goins then singled home Hoti to give Mercy a 3-2 lead. STAC tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth on a Ryan Appell home run.
Mercy took the lead for good in the fifth inning when Bernard Jr. hit a two-run home run to right center after a Nisco walk to give the Mavericks a 5-3 lead.
The Spartans scored a run in the seventh inning to make it 5-4. Junior Samuel Gil (Bronx, N.Y./St. Bonaventure University) recorded a popup to first with the tying run at second to close out the game, giving Mercy the 5-4 game two win.
Mercy was led by Bernard Jr. who went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season and two RBI. Hoti went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Goins went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jemison went 1-for-4 and senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) and McAdams went 1-for-3. Sanders went 1-for-3 with a run and senior Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) pitched 5.0 innings with three runs allowed and five strikeouts to earn his team-leading fourth win of the season. Gil pitched a scoreless inning of relief to earn his team-leading sixth save of the season.
STAC was led by Appell who went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Orin Winslow pitched 5.1 innings with five runs allowed to take the loss.
Mercy had 10 hits and no errors and STAC had eight hits and no errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host STAC at 12 p.m.
