LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. (Apr. 18, 2025) – Powered by a game-high three RBI from senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) and juniors John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) and David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) and strong pitching performances from freshman Andre Jenkins (Chester, N.Y./Chester Academy) and graduate student John Gillespie (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa), the Mercy University baseball team earned a 17-1 win at Lincoln University on Friday afternoon.
The Mavericks (23-18) have won two games in a row and improve to 22-1 against the Lions (5-32).
Mercy was led by Nisco who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with three RBI and Bernard Jr. went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Senior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) went 1-for-2 with three runs and junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) went 1-for-2 with two RBI and three runs. Jenkins pitched 6.0 shutout innings with eight strikeouts and four hits allowed to earn his fourth win of the season. Gillespie pitched the final 3.0 innings with one run allowed and six strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.
Lincoln was led by Wesley Hogan who went 1-for-4 with a home run. Jaden Randolph allowed seven earned runs in 5.0 innings to take the loss.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Mercy scored five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Sanders singled, junior Anthony Dolce (North Salem, N.Y./Westchester CC) was hit by a pitch and Hoti walked to load the bases. Goins then singled to center field, scoring Sanders and Dolce to make it 2-0. Nisco later doubled home Hoti to make it 3-0 and Goins scored on a passed ball to give Mercy a 4-0 lead. Gonzalez singled home Nisco to put the Mavericks up 5-0.
Mercy added four runs in the sixth inning to take a 9-0 lead. Hoti walked and Goins was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Jemison then singled home Hoti to make it 6-0. Nisco later hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Goins to give Mercy a 7-0 lead. Jemison later scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-0 and Bernard Jr. hit a sacrifice fly to score Gonzalez, giving the Mavericks a 9-0 lead.
The Mavericks exploded for seven runs in the seventh inning to build a 16-0 lead. Hoti walked, Goins was hit by a pitch and Jemison walked to load the bases. Nisco was hit by a pitch, allowing Hoti to score to make it 10-0. Gonzalez then doubled to right center, scoring Goins and Jemison to give Mercy a 12-0 lead. Bernard Jr. followed with a double to right center that scored Nisco and Gonzalez to put the Mavericks up 14-0. Sanders later doubled home freshman Jack Antalek (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon), who pinch ran for Bernard Jr., to make it 15-0 and Dolce brought home junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) on a groundout to second base to put the Mavericks up, 16-0.
Mercy tacked on a run in the eighth inning to make it 17-0. Freshman Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) led off the inning with a walk and later scored after Gonzalez grounded into a double play. Lincoln scored their lone run of the game on a lead off home run by Hogan in the bottom of the eighth to make it 17-1.
Gillespie pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game, giving Mercy the 17-1 win.
Mercy had 12 hits and one error and Lincoln had seven hits and four errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Lincoln for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
