NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (May 9, 2025) – Despite a team-high three RBI on the day from junior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR), the No. 3 seeded Mercy University baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision to No. 1 seeded Molloy University before falling 17-2 to No. 4 seeded Queens College in Games Four and Five of the ECC Baseball Championship on Friday afternoon at Sal Maglie Stadium.
The Mavericks (29-24) see their season come to an end in the ECC Championship for the fourth time in five seasons. Mercy ends their season with a school record 29 wins. The Lions (31-17) will face the Knights (20-27) in the Final tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Sal Maglie Stadium.
Game 1: Molloy 5, Mercy 4
The game remained scoreless until Molloy scored a run in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead.
The Mavericks tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Senior Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) led off the inning with a single and later scored after junior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) reached on an error by the left fielder.
The Lions scored a run in the fifth and sixth innings and two runs in the ninth inning to take a 5-1 lead. Mercy scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to make it 5-4. Junior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) and senior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) singled before Goins recorded a two-run double to make it 5-3. Goins later scored after sophomore Peyton Jemison (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) reached on an error to make it 5-4. A groundout to second ended the game with the tying run at second.
Mercy was led by Goins who went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Bernard Jr. went 2-for-4 and Jemison went 2-for-5 with his 100th career hit. Jemison records his 100th career hit in just 60 games. Sanders went 1-for-4 with a run and senior Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) went 1-for-4. Gonzalez went 1-for-5 with a run and senior Matthew Manzoeillo (Beacon, N.Y./Beacon) allowed one earned run in 5.1 innings to take the loss.
Molloy was led by Aidan Larkin who went 3-for-3 with an RBI. JC Kiss allowed two earned runs in 8.2 innings to earn the win. Jayden Patel pitched 0.1 innings of relief to earn the save.
Mercy had eight hits and three errors and Molloy had 10 hits and three errors.
Game 2: Queens 17, Mercy 2
Queens scored six unearned runs in the first inning to take a 6-0 lead and scored four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. Mercy scored a run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 10-1. Gonzalez and McAdams singled with one out and Gonzalez later scored on a wild pitch.
The Knights scored five more runs in the fifth inning to take a 15-1 lead. Goins recorded an inside-the-park home run to right center in the bottom of the fifth to make it 15-2.
Queens tacked on two more runs in the ninth inning to take a 17-2 lead. Mercy was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Knights the 17-2 win.
Mercy was led by Goins who went 1-for-3 with his first career home run. Gonzalez went 1-for-4 with a run and McAdams and junior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) went 1-for-4. Sophomore Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) allowed six unearned runs in 0.2 innings to take the loss. Graduate student John Gillespie (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Queens was led by Nick Piazza who went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Nick Kozerski pitched a complete game with two earned runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had four hits and three errors and Queens had 14 hits and two errors.
