STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (Apr. 3, 2025) – Powered by a team-high eight RBI and two home runs on the day from junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow), the Mercy University baseball team dropped an 11-9 decision to ECC foe College of Staten Island in game one before earning an 18-16 win in game two on Thursday afternoon at the CSI Baseball Complex.
The Mavericks (18-15, 5-5 ECC) have won three of their last four games, while the Dolphins (11-21, 5-5 ECC) see their four-game winning streak come to an end with the game two loss.
Game 1: Staten Island 11, Mercy 9
Mercy took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) led off the game with a walk and stole second before Nisco hit a two-run home run to left field.
The Mavericks scored five more runs in the second inning to take a 7-0 lead. Senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) doubled, senior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) was hit by a pitch and junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) walked to load the bases. Jemison then hit a three-run double to left field, to give Mercy a 5-0 lead. Nisco then singled home Jemison to make it 6-0. Senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) later brought home Nisco on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.
The Dolphins scored six runs in the second inning to make it 7-6 and recorded a run in the fourth inning and fifth innings to take an 8-7 lead.
Mercy tied the game at 8-8 in the sixth inning. Goins tripled with one out and scored on a Jemison double. Staten Island regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-8 lead.
The Mavericks evened the score at 9-9 in the seventh inning. Gonzalez walked and later scored on a junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) sacrifice fly.
Staten Island scored a run in the seventh and eighth innings to take an 11-9 lead. Mercy could not score in the ninth inning, giving the Dolphins the game one win.
Mercy was led by Nisco who hit his fourth home run of the season and went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Jemison went 4-for-4 with four RBI and Gonzalez went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Junior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) went 1-for-5 and Sanders went 1-for-5 with a run. Goins went 1-for-3 with two runs. Sophomore Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) pitched the first 2.0 innings with six runs allowed to take a no-decision. Freshman Gordon Votruba (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) allowed four runs in 4.0 innings to take the loss.
Staten Island was led by Jack Kehoe who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Anthony Salmonese pitched 1.0 inning to earn the win and Kehoe pitched 2.0 scoreless innings to earn the save.
Mercy had 10 hits and no errors and Staten Island had 13 hits and two errors.
Game 2: Mercy 18, Staten Island 16
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Nisco hit a home run to left field with one out to give Mercy an early 1-0 lead. The Dolphins scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead.
Staten Island scored eight runs in the third inning to take a 10-1 lead.
The Mavericks responded with seven runs in the fourth inning to make it 10-8. Freshman Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) led off the inning with a home run to center field to make it 10-2. Sanders then singled and senior Connor Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) walked before Goins singled home Sanders to make it 10-3. Nisco then doubled home Ruland and Goins to make it 10-5. Nisco later scored after Gonzalez reached on an error to make it 10-6 and McAdams singled home Gonzalez to make it 10-7. Sanders later singled home McAdams for the final run of the inning to make it 10-8. Staten Island scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 11-8.
Mercy scored three runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 11-11. Goins singled and advanced to second after an error by the left fielder before Jemison singled him home to make it 11-9. Nisco was then hit by a pitch and both Nisco and Jemison later scored on a McAdams single to tie the game at 11-11. The Dolphins regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 12-11 lead.
The Mavericks took the lead for good in the sixth inning with six runs to take a 17-12 lead. Ruland reached on an error, Goins was hit by a pitch and Jemison walked to load the bases. Nisco then singled to right field, scoring Ruland and Goins to make it 13-12. Junior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) then singled home Jemison to make it 14-12. Hesselbirg later drew a bases-loaded walk to give Mercy a 15-12 lead and Sanders was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to put the Mavericks up 16-12. McAdams scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch to give Mercy a 17-12 lead.
Mercy added a run in the seventh inning to take an 18-12 lead. Bernard Jr. reached on an error and scored on a senior Frankie Asaro (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley) RBI single. Staten Island scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 18-16.
Senior Will Sullo (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Rockland CC) and junior Samuel Gil (Bronx, N.Y./St. Bonaventure University) combined to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to give Mercy the 18-16 game two win.
Mercy was led by Nisco who went 4-for-6 with his fifth home run of the season and five RBI. Nisco recorded his 100th career hit and now has 101 career hits. Jemison went 2-for-6 with an RBI and Bernard Jr. went 1-for-7 with an RBI. Gonzalez went 2-for-6 and McAdams went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Asaro went 1-for-1 with an RBI and Hesselbirg went 1-for-4 with his first career home run and two RBI. Sanders went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Goins went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Junior Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) pitched the first 2.0 innings with five runs allowed to earn a no-decision. Freshman Ryan DiNapoli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) pitched 3.0 innings of relief with four runs allowed and five strikeouts to earn his third win of the season. Gil pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn his team-leading eighth save of the year.
Staten Island was led by AJ Vigliotti who went 3-for-5 with seven RBI. Gerard Santos allowed four earned runs in 1.0 inning to take the loss.
Mercy had 18 hits and no errors and Staten Island had 12 hits and five errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they host Staten Island for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
