SPARKILL, N.Y. – Powered by a game-high two RBI from freshman Madelyn Perrone (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) and junior Onnika DeBruhl (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), the No. 2 seeded Mercy University Softball Team earned an 8-2 win over No. 3 seeded D'Youville University on Day One of the ECC Softball Championship on Thursday afternoon at Spartan Field.
The Mavericks (25-16) improve to 5-0 this season against the Saints (20-19) this season. Mercy now has their most wins in a season since 2018. Mercy will play at top seed St. Thomas Aquinas tomorrow at 10 a.m. If the Mavericks win tomorrow morning, they will advance to the Final on Saturday at 12 p.m. If Mercy loses to STAC, they will face the winner of D'Youville/Staten Island in an elimination game at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior Averi Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Arbor View) tripled with two outs and scored on the throw.
The Mavericks tacked on three more runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead. Perrone doubled and junior Dylan Reyer (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) singled. Reyer stole second to put runners on second and third. DeBruhl later doubled home both Perrone and Reyer to make it 3-0. Freshman Emma Jackson (Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro) later brought home DeBruhl on a groundout to give Mercy a 4-0 lead.
The Saints scored a run in the third inning on a Frankie Morris home run to make it 4-1.
Mercy added two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-1 lead. Miller singled to lead off the inning and scored on a Perrone two-run home run.
D'Youville made it 6-2 in the fourth inning on a Gabby Moreno double. Mercy made it 7-2 in the fourth inning. Sophomore Mikaela Mammola (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) singled and later scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Mercy added another run in the fifth inning to make it 8-2. Junior Julianna Coluccio (Sicklerville, N.J./Timber Creek Regional) and Perrone both singled before Reyer singled home Coluccio.
Senior Mackayla Secoda (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) held the Saints scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings, giving Mercy the 8-2 win.
Mercy was led by Perrone who went 3-for-3 with her first collegiate home run and two RBI. DeBruhl went 1-for-1 with two RBI and Reyer went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Reyer recorded her 100th career hit. Miller went 2-for-4 with two runs and Coluccio went 1-for-3 with a run. Mammola went 2-for-3 with a run and sophomore Lauren McSweeney (Islip, N.Y./Islip) pitched 4.0 innings with two runs allowed and two strikeouts to earn her ninth win of the season. Secoda allowed no runs in 3.0 innings with four strikeouts to record her second save of the season.
D'Youville was led by Morris who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Summer Clark allowed six earned runs in a complete game to take the loss.
Mercy had 11 hits and no errors and D'Youville had seven hits and two errors.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play at No. 1 seed STAC at 10 a.m. on the second day of the ECC Championship.
