SPARKILL, N.Y. (Mar. 25, 2025) – Powered by home runs in game two from seniors Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) and Madilyn Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law), the Mercy University softball team dropped an 8-0 decision to ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College in game one before earning an 8-3 win in game two on Tuesday afternoon at Spartan Field.
The Mavericks (9-9, 3-1 ECC) earn their second straight doubleheader split and earn a win at the defending ECC Champion Spartans (12-12, 1-1 ECC) for the first time since 2023.
Game 1: STAC 8, Mercy 0 (6 Innings)
STAC took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an Eliana Raposo home run.
The Spartans scored two more runs in the second inning and another run in the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead.
A Sofia Marella grand slam in the sixth inning gave STAC the 8-0 walk-off win via the run-rule.
Mercy was led by Seppala and Lula who both went 1-for-2. Sophomore Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) went 1-for-3 and freshman Lauren McSweeney (Islip, N.Y./Islip) pitched a complete game with eight runs allowed to take the loss.
STAC was led by Marella who went 1-for-3 with five RBI. Sarah Clancy pitched a complete game with no runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had three hits and one error and STAC had 10 hits and no errors.
Game 2: Mercy 8, STAC 3
Mercy scored three runs in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Murphy walked to lead off the game and stole second before scoring on a sophomore Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View) double to make it 1-0. Freshman Jessica Fox (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) later doubled home Miller to give Mercy a 2-0 lead and freshman Talia Salanto (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) singled home Fox to make it 3-0.
STAC scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first to make it 3-1.
The Mavericks scored another run in the second inning to build a 4-1 lead. Murphy singled and later scored on a Miller RBI single through the right side. The Spartans recorded a run in the bottom of the second to make it 4-2.
Mercy tacked on two runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-2 lead. Lula led off the inning with a home run to left center to make it 5-2. Sophomore Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) then tripled before scoring on a Murphy RBI single.
STAC scored their final run in the sixth inning on a Trinadey Santiago home run to make it 6-3.
Freshman Keira Jantz (Islip, N.Y./Islip) singled in the seventh inning and later scored on a Seppala two-run home run to left field, giving Mercy an 8-3 lead. That would be more than enough run support for senior Skylar Brandemarte (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Stonehill College) who pitched a scoreless seventh inning to close out the 8-3 game two win for the Mavericks.
Mercy was led by Lula who went 2-for-3 with her first home run of the season and an RBI. Seppala went 1-for-4 with her first home run of the season and two RBI and Murphy went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Miller went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Jantz went 2-for-4. Fox went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Salanto went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Reyer went 1-for-3 and Brandemarte pitched a complete game with two earned runs allowed and four strikeouts to earn her team-leading fourth win of the season.
STAC was led by Jordyn Gautier who went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Madison Puppolo allowed five earned runs in 3.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 13 hits and one error and STAC had seven hits and one error.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday when they host New Haven for a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m.
