CARY, N.C. – Powered by a game-high four RBI from senior David Bernard Jr. (Schenectady, N.Y./Herkimer CC) and six shutout innings pitched by sophomore Andre Jenkins (Chester, N.Y./Chester Academy), the Mercy University Baseball Team opened its 2026 season with an 11-6 win over regionally-ranked Goldey-Beacom College on Friday night.
The Mavericks (1-0) open their season with a win for the first time since the 2024 season and defeat the Lightning (1-1) for the second straight time.
Mercy scored the game's first run in the top of the first when junior Dylan Koch (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Pace University) walked to leadoff the game and later scored on a senior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when the Mavericks exploded for six runs to take a 7-0 lead. Senior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR), Koch and junior Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) walked to load the bases before Ashline was hit by a pitch, allowing Koch to score to make it 2-0. Bernard Jr. then hit a bases-clearing triple to put the Mavericks up 5-0. Senior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) then singled home Bernard Jr. to make it 6-0. Graduate student Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) later singled home sophomore Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) to put the Mavericks up 7-0.
After Jenkins tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth inning, Mercy tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning to take an 11-0 lead. Koch singled to leadoff the inning and stole second before Scaperotti walked. Scaperotti and Koch then stole second and third before senior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) singled home Koch to make it 8-0. Ashline then brought home Scaperotti on a sacrifice fly to give Mercy a 9-0 lead. Bernard Jr. then plated Nisco after reaching on an error to put the Mavericks up 10-0. Hesselbirg singled home Bernard Jr. for the final run of the inning to give Mercy a commanding 11-0 lead.
Goldey-Beacom scored five runs in the seventh inning and one run in the eighth inning to make it 11-6. However, sophomore Tate Van Alstyne (Chatham, N.Y./Southern New Hampshire University) pitched a scoreless ninth in his Mercy debut to close out the win for the Mavericks.
Mercy was led by Bernard Jr. who went 1-for-3 with a game-high four RBI. Jenkins pitched six shutout innings with just two hits allowed and five strikeouts to earn his first win of the season. Koch went 2-for-4 with a game-high three runs in his Mercy debut and Ashline recorded three RBI. Ashline recorded his 100th career RBI, becoming the fifth Maverick in program history to reach the mark. Hoti went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Scaperotti went 1-for-3 with two runs. Nisco went 1-for-6 with two runs and an RBI and McAdams went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Hesselbirg went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Goins went 1-for-4. Van Alstyne pitched 2.2 innings of relief with one run allowed and four strikeouts in his Mercy debut.
Goldey-Beacom was led by Zach Smethers who went 2-for-5 with two RBI. George Starr allowed one earned run in 4.1 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 10 hits and no errors and Goldey-Beacom had five hits and four errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they face Franklin Pierce at 10 a.m. and Goldey-Beacom at 6 p.m. in Cary.
