DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 22, 2025) – Powered by a game-high two RBI from freshmen Jessica Fox (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) and Talia Salanto (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) and a complete game win from junior Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) in game two, the Mercy University softball team dropped an 8-1 decision in game one to American International College before earning a 7-1 win in game two on Saturday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (8-8) have won three of their last four games and defeat the Yellow Jackets (4-6) for the first time since 2023.
Game 1: AIC 8, Mercy 1
Freshman Carly Gaffney (Palmerton, Pa./Palmerton Area) and Julia Krijgsman both pitched four shutout innings to start the game. The Yellow Jackets scored six runs in the top of the fifth on six hits to take a 6-0 lead.
Mercy scored a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-1. Sophomore Onnika DeBruhl (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) walked with two outs and later scored on a sophomore Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) RBI single.
AIC scored two runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-1 lead. Mercy was unable to score again and the Yellow Jackets earned the game one win.
Mercy was led by Reyer who went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Gaffney allowed six runs in 4.2 innings to take the loss.
AIC was led by Destiny McGrath who went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Julia Krijgsman pitched a complete game with no earned runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had one hit and one error and AIC had 12 hits and two errors.
Game 2: Mercy 7, AIC 1
AIC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a McGrath RBI single. Mercy answered with a run in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Sophomore Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) singled to lead off the inning and scored on a Fox RBI single.
The score remained 1-1 until the fourth inning when Mercy scored four runs to take a 5-1 lead. Freshman Keira Jantz (Islip, N.Y./Islip) doubled and junior Elizabeth Stark (Landale, Pa./North Penn) singled before Salanto doubled down the left field line, scoring both Jantz and Stark to give Mercy a 3-1 lead. Senior Kimberlee Childs (Queens, N.Y./University of Bridgeport) then doubled home Salanto to make it 4-1 and Murphy later singled home Childs to give Mercy a 5-1 lead.
Mercy scored two more runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-1 lead. Murphy and freshman Mikaela Mammola (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) singled with two outs before sophomore Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View) singled home Murphy to make it 6-1. Fox then singled home Mammola to put the Mavericks up 7-1.
Secoda pitched a scoreless seventh inning to give Mercy the 7-1 game two win.
Mercy was led by Fox who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and by Salanto who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Murphy went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Childs went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Mammola went 2-for-4 and Miller went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Stark went 1-for-2 with a run and Jantz went 1-for-4 with a run. Secoda pitched a complete game with just one run allowed and eight strikeouts to earn her second win of the season.
AIC was led by McGrath who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gabrielle Lambert allowed five runs in 3.1 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 12 hits and no errors and AIC had five hits and no errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, March 25th when they play at STAC at 2:30 & 4:30 p.m.
