FLUSHING, N.Y. (Apr. 17, 2025) – Powered by a game-high two RBI from senior Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) and a complete game win from senior Skylar Brandemarte (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Stonehill College) in game one, the Mercy University softball team earned a 3-1 win over ECC foe Queens College in game one before falling 5-3 in game two on Thursday afternoon.
The Mavericks (14-18, 4-6 ECC) snap a two-game losing streak with the game one and earn a split at the Knights (7-23, 3-11 ECC) for the first time since 2023. Mercy matches their win total from last year.
Game 1: Mercy 3, Queens 1
Mercy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Sophomore Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) singled to lead off the game and advanced to second after an error by the left fielder. Graduate student Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) then singled to move Murphy to third. After Harris stole second, Seppala hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Murphy to make it 1-0.
The Mavericks added a run in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View) doubled with one out and later scored on a senior Madilyn Lula (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) infield single.
Mercy tacked on a run in the fifth inning to make it 3-0. Murphy reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a Seppala RBI single to left field.
Brandemarte allowed her lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh, but was able to induce a groundout to second to give Mercy the 3-1 game one win.
Mercy was led by Seppala who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and by Miller who went 2-for-3 with a run. Lula went 1-for-2 with an RBI and sophomore Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) and freshmen Talia Salanto (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) and Jessica Fox (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) went 1-for-3. Harris went 1-for-4 and Murphy went 1-for-4 with two runs. Brandemarte allowed just one run and struck out six to earn her eighth win of the season.
Queens was led by Emma Zumpol who went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Caylea Campbell allowed one earned run in 7.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had nine hits and one error and Queens had eight hits and two errors.
Game 2: Queens 5, Mercy 3
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Murphy walked to lead off the game and later scored on a Salanto RBI single. Queens scored four runs in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 lead.
The Mavericks scored a run in the fifth inning to make it 4-2. Freshman Onnika DeBruhl (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) led off the inning with a double and later scored on a Murphy groundout to shortstop.
Queens scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on an Amanda Baez home run to take a 5-2 lead.
Mercy inched closer with a run in the sixth inning to make it 5-3. Salanto singled with one out and later scored on a Miller RBI double.
The Mavericks could not score in the seventh inning, giving Queens the 5-3 game two win.
Mercy was led by Salanto who went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Miller went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Lula went 1-for-2. DeBruhl went 1-for-3 with a run and Reyer went 1-for-3. Freshman Carly Gaffney (Palmerton, Pa./Palmerton Area) pitched 1.0 inning with three earned runs allowed to take the loss. Junior Marina Provencio (Santa Clarita, Calif./Saugus) pitched 4.1 innings with one run allowed and junior Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) pitched 0.2 scoreless innings.
Queens was led by Baez who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Sam Voskinarian pitched 5.2 innings with three runs allowed to earn the win. Campbell pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the save.
Mercy had seven hits and one error and Queens had six hits and one error.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday when they host D'Youville at 12 p.m.
