Garden City, N.Y. – Despite a home run in game two from junior Skania Lemus (Chula Vista, Calif./Southwestern CC), the No. 5 seeded Mercy College softball team dropped a 5-0 decision to Adelphi University and a 12-3 decision to Wilmington University to conclude their season in the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The Mavericks (33-16) conclude the season with their most wins in program history and made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Adelphi and Wilmington will meet tomorrow to decide who advances to the Super Regionals.
Game 1: Adelphi 5, Mercy 0
Despite two hits from junior Cassidy Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y./Monroe College), the Mavericks were unable to overcome the No. 1 Panthers in game three of the NCAA Division II East 1 Regional. The scoring began in the top of the second inning, when the Panthers were able to record the first run of the contest off a Mavericks error, allowing Megan Lewis to put one on the board for Adelphi.
The Mavericks were able to get themselves in scoring position in the bottom of the second inning when a sacrifice bunt from junior Morgan Lloyd (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) would allow for sophomore Kaylee Stevens (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal) to advance to second, however the Mavericks were unable to put one on the board and the score remained 1-0 after two innings of play.
Neither team were able to score in the third and fourth inning, until the Panthers offense in the top of the fifth was able to score three runs off of two hits to eventually win them the game. The scoring began when Brenna Martini doubled to left center for a two run RBI. Martini was then brought home by Lewis, who drilled a double and advanced to third base on the throw, allowing Martini to score the fourth run of the game
Despite a single from Wootten in the bottom of the sixth, the Mavericks still were not able to put one on the board. An inside the park home run from Elisabeth Bernard in the top of the seventh would be the final run scored in the contest, with the Mavericks eventually falling 5-0 to Adelphi University.
Leading the Panthers was Bernard, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI. Martini went 1-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI. Fallon McCarthy went 2-for-3 in the matchup. Lindsay Mapes tossed a complete seven innings, striking out three batters for the victory.
Wootten went 2-for-3 in the contest. Freshman Destini Bullock (San Diego, Calif./Helix) , Stevens, and Lemus and Lloyd all recorded one hit in the loss. Sophomore McKaily Cusumano (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) threw 4.1 innings for the Mavericks, striking out four batters.
Game 2: Wilmington 12, Mercy 3
The second game of the day saw the Mavericks get on the board first. Bullock led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Lemus singled and Bullock went to third before Wootten later brought Bullock home a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
The Wildcats quickly responded in the top of the second with four runs on three hits and a Mercy error to take a 4-1 lead. The Mavericks inched closer with a run in the bottom of the second on a fielding error by the second baseman to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Wilmington made it 6-2 in the top of the third as Meghan Brown hit a two-run home run to left field. It stayed 6-2 until the fourth when Lemus homered to center field to bring the score to 6-3. The Wildcats put the game away in the top of the fifth with six runs to build a 12-3 lead and they went on to win via the run-rule.
Lemus went 2-for-2, while Wootten went 2-for-2. Lloyd went 1-for-3 and ended the season with 68 hits, tying the single-season school record. Senior Jackie Kielty (Middleboro, Mass./Dean College) pitched four innings to take the loss.
Becca Stanley led Wilmington with a game-high five RBI.
Provided by the Mercy Sports Information Department.
