LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. (Apr. 19, 2025) – Powered by nine different Mavericks recording an RBI on the day, the Mercy University baseball team earned a 13-6 win over Lincoln University in game one before dropping an 8-7 decision in game two on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (24-19) see their three-game winning streak come to an end with the game two loss and fall to the Lions (6-33) for the first time since 2023.
Game 1: Mercy 13, Lincoln 6
After a scoreless first inning, Mercy scored a run in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) hit a solo home run with two outs. The Lions scored two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
Lincoln scored two more runs in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead.
The Mavericks exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-4 lead. Senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) led off the inning with a single and later scored on a sophomore Joey Bodin (Matawan, N.J./Matawan Regional) sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. Junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) brought home McAdams after reaching on an error to make it 4-3. Sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) then singled before junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) doubled to left field, scoring Goins and Jemison to make it 5-4. Senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) then doubled home Nisco to make it 6-4 and junior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) then tripled home Sanders to give Mercy a 7-4 lead. Gonzalez singled home Ashline for the final run of the inning.
Mercy scored a run in the fifth inning when Goins drew a bases-loaded walk that scored junior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) to make it 9-4. The Lions scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 9-6.
The Mavericks made it 10-6 in the sixth inning. Ashline singled and later scored on a Bernard Jr. sacrifice fly to left field.
Mercy tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning. Goins walked and Nisco was hit by a pitch before Sanders hit a three-run home run to make it 13-6.
Senior Will Sullo (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Rockland CC) pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to give Mercy the 13-6 game one win.
Mercy was led by Sanders who went 2-for-3 with his third home run of the season and four RBI. McAdams went 1-for-2 with his first home run of the season and an RBI and Nisco went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Jemison went 2-for-4 and Ashline went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Gonzalez went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Gonzalez recorded his 100th career run scored, becoming the ninth Maverick in program history to reach the mark. Bodin went 1-for-3 with an RBI and senior Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) pitched 4.0 innings with four runs allowed and six strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the season. Manzoeillo ties the single-season school record for wins, which has been set four times previously, with the last coming in 2016 by Matt Snyder.
Lincoln was led by Wesley Hogan who went 2-for-4 with four RBI. Sean Stoney allowed two earned runs in 4.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 13 hits and one error and Lincoln had six hits and one error.
Game 2: Lincoln 8, Mercy 7
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jemison singled to lead off the game and scored on a Sanders sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
The Mavericks scored four more runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. Senior Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) singled and later scored after Jemison reached on an error to make it 2-0. Nisco then hit a three-run home run to give Mercy a 5-0 lead.
Lincoln scored a run in the third inning to make it 5-1.
Mercy tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-1 lead. Senior Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Nisco two-run home run.
The Lions scored three runs in the fifth inning to make it 7-4.
The score remained 7-4 heading to Lincoln's final at bat in the bottom of the seventh. The Lions scored four runs on three hits with Keith Gardner recording a two-run walk-off single to give Lincoln the 8-7 game two win.
Mercy was led by Nisco who went 2-for-3 with two home runs and a game-high five RBI. Nisco now has a team-high seven home runs on the year. Jemison went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Ashline went 1-for-3. Freshman Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) went 2-for-4 and Asaro went 2-for-3. Ruland went 1-for-3 and senior Gaetano Pennisi (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) pitched the first 4.1 innings with two runs allowed to take a no-decision. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief and junior Samuel Gil (Bronx, N.Y./St. Bonaventure University) allowed four runs without recording an out to take the loss.
Lincoln was led by Miguel Agramonte who went 1-for-3 with three RBI. Ethan Craig pitched a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win.
Mercy had 10 hits and no errors and Lincoln had nine hits and three errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday when they host New Haven at 3 p.m.
