NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – Powered by a game-high two RBI from sophomore Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) and senior Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) and eight strong innings on the mound from sophomore Andre Jenkins (Chester, N.Y./Chester Academy), the Mercy University Baseball Team earned a 10-2 win at ECC foe D'Youville University on Saturday afternoon at Sal Maglie Stadium.
The Mavericks (13-13, 7-4 ECC) have won two of the first three games of the series against the Saints (9-16, 4-7 ECC).
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Sophomore Geneo Savoca (Albany, N.Y./University at Albany) and senior John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow) singled before senior Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) singled home Savoca to make it 1-0.
The Mavericks added three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead. Junior Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) singled and sophomore Anthony Altobelli (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) doubled before Hesselbirg hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Scaperotti to make it 2-0. Graduate student Alfred Hoti (New York, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) then singled home Altobelli to make it 3-0. Junior Dylan Koch (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Pace University) later singled home Hoti to give Mercy a 4-0 lead.
Mercy tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-0 lead. Scaperotti tripled to lead off the inning and scored on an Altobelli single to make it 5-0. Altobelli later scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0 and Goins doubled home Hesselbirg to make it 7-0. Savoca later singled home Goins to put Mercy up, 8-0.
The Saints scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-1.
Hesselbirg doubled to lead off the eighth inning and scored on a Goins double to put the Mavericks up, 9-1. D'Youville scored a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 9-2.
Altobelli walked with two outs in the ninth inning and scored on a Hesselbirg single to make it 10-2.
Sophomore Nicholas Stella (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to give Mercy the 10-2 win.
Mercy was led by Hesselbirg who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs and by Goins who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Scaperotti went 3-for-5 with two runs and Koch went 1-for-5 with an RBI. Savoca went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Altobelli went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Ashline and Hoti both went 1-for-5 with an RBI and Nisco went 1-for-5. Jenkins pitched 8.0 innings with two runs allowed and seven strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.
D'Youville was led by Anthony Consiglio who went 3-for-4. Ryan McCarthy allowed four runs in 4.0 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 15 hits and one error and D'Youville had nine hits and no errors.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.
