UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Powered by a game-high-tying three RBI from sophomore Matthew Hesselbirg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Newfield) and 3.2 shutout innings of relief from freshman Dylan Ruland (Islip, N.Y./Islip) in game two of the day, the No. 2 seeded Mercy University Baseball Team dropped an 8-2 decision to No. 1 seeded Molloy University before earning a 7-5 win over No. 4 seeded D'Youville University to advance to the Final of the ECC Baseball Championship for the first time in program history on Friday afternoon at the Mitchel Athletic Complex.
The Mavericks (28-23) advance to the Final for the first time in program history and will face the Lions (38-9) tomorrow starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Mitchel Athletic Complex. Mercy needs to defeat Molloy twice to win the championship. The Saints (20-31) see their season come to an end.
Game 1: Molloy 8, Mercy 2
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a junior Dylan Koch (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Pace University) lead off home run. The Lions tied the game in the bottom of the first on a Mike Sweeney lead off home run.
Molloy took a 4-1 lead in the third inning on a Sean Welsh three-run home run.
The Mavericks made it 4-2 in the fourth inning. Senior Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) singled and scored on a junior Kyle Engmann (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) double.
The Lions scored a run in the fourth, two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth to take an 8-2 lead.
Mercy was unable to score, giving Molloy the 8-2 win.
Mercy was led by Koch who went 1-for-5 with his fifth home run of the season. Engmann went 3-for-4 with an RBI and junior Nevin Scaperotti (Stormville, N.Y./Carmel) and seniors John Nisco (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow), Kolongi Goins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./FDR) and Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) all went 1-for-4. Sophomore Andre Jenkins (Chester, N.Y./Chester Academy) pitched 5.2 innings with seven earned runs allowed and three strikeouts to take the loss. Jenkins recorded his 100th career strikeout. Sophomore Omar Giret (New Fairfield, Conn./Kennedy Catholic Prep) and senior Diego Wirz (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) combined for 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Molloy was led by Welsh who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Mike Knapp pitched 8.0 innings with two runs allowed and 10 strikeouts to earn the win.
Mercy had nine hits and two errors and Molloy had eight hits and one error.
Game 2: Mercy 7, D'Youville 5
D'Youville took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Colby Wilson two-run home run.
Mercy tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning. Koch singled and Nisco doubled before Hesselbirg singled home Koch and Nisco to tie the game.
The Mavericks took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning. Scaperotti and Nisco singled and later stole second and third. Hesselbirg brought home Scaperotti on a groundout, giving Mercy a 3-2 lead. McAdams singled home Nisco to make it 4-2.
Mercy made it 5-2 in the sixth inning. Koch singled with two outs and stole second before scoring on a wild pitch. D'Youville scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5.
The game remained tied at 5-5 until the top of the ninth when Mercy scored two runs to take a 7-5 lead. Scaperotti was hit by a pitch and later scored on an Ashline double to make it 6-5. Ashline later scored on an error by the first baseman to make it 7-5.
Ruland pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, giving Mercy the 7-5 win, sending the Mavericks to the ECC Final.
Mercy was led by Hesselbirg who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. McAdams went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Ashline went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Nisco went 4-for-4 with two runs and Koch went 2-for-5 with two runs. Scaperotti went 1-for-3 with two runs and sophomore Geneo Savoca (Albany, N.Y./University at Albany) allowed five runs in 5.1 innings to take a no-decision. Ruland pitched the final 3.2 innings with no runs allowed and two strikeouts to earn his sixth win of the season.
D'Youville was led by Colby Wilson who went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Greg Orcutt allowed two runs in 3.1 innings to take the loss.
Mercy had 12 hits and no errors and D'Youville had four hits and one error.
Head Coach Chris Schoen and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at Molloy in the ECC Championship Final starting at 9:30 a.m.
