DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Despite an RBI from juniors Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) and Julianna Coluccio (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Regional), the Mercy University Softball Team dropped 4-0 and 8-2 decisions to St. Thomas Aquinas College in their ECC and home openers on Tuesday afternoon at Smith Field.
The Mavericks (3-7, 0-2 ECC) see their two-game winning streak come to an end and fall to the Spartans (8-8, 2-0 ECC) for the fifth straight time.
Game 1: STAC 4, Mercy 0
STAC scored a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans added two runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead. Alyssa Haberstroh and Elyse Marcano recorded back-to-back sacrifice flies.
STAC made it 4-0 in the seventh inning on an Olivia Leon RBI single.
Freshman Makayla Rady (Wharton, N.J./Morris Knolls) was hit by a pitch and junior Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) singled to put runners on first and second in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout ended the game, giving STAC the 4-0 game one win.
Mercy was led by freshman Emma Jackson (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro), junior Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View), sophomore Jessica Fox (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) and Reyer who all went 1-for-3. Sophomore Lauren McSweeney (Islip, N.Y./Islip) pitched a complete game with four runs allowed to take the loss.
STAC was led by Leon who went 4-for-4 with an RBI. Lauren Falk pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Mercy had four hits and no errors and STAC had 11 hits and one error.
Game 2: STAC 8, Mercy 2
STAC scored four runs in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead. Mercy scored a run in the bottom of the first to make it 4-1. Jackson was hit by a pitch and scored on a Coluccio double down the left field line.
The Mavericks made it 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Mikaela Mammola (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a Murphy RBI single.
STAC added two runs in the third and fourth innings to take an 8-2 lead.
Mercy loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but a groundout ended the game, giving STAC the 8-2 game two win.
Mercy was led by Coluccio who went 1-for-3 with an RBI and by Murphy who went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) went 1-for-1 and Reyer and Rady both went 1-for-3. Freshman Juliana Abbene (Massapequa, N.Y./Farmingdale) allowed four runs in the first inning to take the loss. Senior Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) allowed one earned run in 6.0 innings with six strikeouts. Senior Marina Provencio (Santa Clarita, Calif./Saugus) pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
STAC was led by Sofia Marella who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a home run. Emma Grace Popp pitched a complete game with two runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had five hits and two errors and STAC had 14 hits and no errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, March 28th when they host D'Youville for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
