CALDWELL, N.J. – Despite a team-high three RBI on the day from juniors Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View) and Allison Murphy (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland) and a team-high four hits from freshman Emma Jackson (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro), the Mercy University Softball Team dropped 6-5 and 11-10 decisions at Caldwell University on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mavericks (12-12) have dropped three of their last four games and fall to 0-10 all-time against the Cougars (16-12).
Game 1: Caldwell 6, Mercy 5
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Murphy reached on a fielder's choice and later scored after freshman Madelyn Perrone (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) reached on an error by the right fielder.
The Mavericks added a run in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Junior Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) reached on an error and later scored on a Miller RBI single. Caldwell scored two runs on an Emily Kurth double to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third.
Caldwell took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on an Eden Ehle RBI single.
The Cougars added two runs in the fifth inning to build a 5-2 lead.
Mercy responded with three runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5. Jackson reached on an error by the left fielder and sophomore Mikaela Mammola (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) singled before Murphy doubled home Jackson to make it 5-3. Miller then singled home Mammola and Murphy to tie the game at 5-5.
Caldwell scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to earn the 6-5 walk-off win in game one.
Mercy was led by Miller who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and by Murphy who went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Elizabeth Stark (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) went 2-for-4 and Mammola went 1-for-3. Jackson and Reyer both went 1-for-4 and senior Marina Provencio (Santa Clarita, Calif./Saugus) pitched 3.0 innings with three runs allowed to take a no-decision. Sophomore Lauren McSweeney (Islip, N.Y./Islip) allowed one earned run in 3.2 innings to take the loss.
Caldwell was led by Kurth who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Katie O'Connor pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Mercy had eight hits and three errors and Caldwell had 11 hits and eight errors.
Game 2: Caldwell 11, Mercy 10 (8 Innings)
Caldwell took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Kurth RBI single.
The Mavericks scored six runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Jackson reached on an error, freshman Makayla Rady (Wharton, N.J./Morris Knolls) singled and junior Onnika DeBruhl (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) walked to load the bases. After a strikeout made two outs in the inning, Mammola reached on an error by the shortstop, allowing Jackson and Rady to score to make it 2-1. Murphy then singled home DeBruhl and Mammola to give Mercy a 4-1 lead. Miller then singled before Perrone doubled home both Murphy and Miller to make it 6-1.
Caldwell scored a run in the fourth inning to make it 6-2.
The Cougars added three runs in the fifth inning to make it 6-5. Kurth recorded an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6, sending the game into extra innings.
Mercy plated four runs in the top of the eighth to take a 10-6 lead. Stark reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Murphy to make it 7-6. Jackson then singled home Reyer and Stark to give Mercy a 9-6 lead. Sophomore Alexis Lemus (Chino, Calif./South Hills) later reached on an error, allowing Jackson to score to make it 10-6.
Caldwell scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped off by a Kendall Mazur walk-off RBI single, to give the Cougars the 11-10 game-two win and the sweep.
Mercy was led by Jackson who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and by Perrone who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Murphy went 1-for-5 with two RBI and Lemus went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Miller went 1-for-3 and Rady and DeBruhl both went 1-for-4 with a run. Sophomore Carly Gaffney (Palmerton, Pa./Palmerton Area) allowed four runs in 4.0 innings to take a no-decision. McSweeney allowed no earned runs in 0.2 innings to take the loss.
Caldwell was led by Kurth who went 2-for-2 with four RBI. CC Lanzi allowed three earned runs in 4.1 innings to earn the win.
Mercy had 10 hits and one error and Caldwell had 13 hits and seven errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, April 10th when they host Staten Island at 2:30 p.m.
