Uniondale, N.Y. - Powered by 21 runs scored, the No. 4 seeded Mercy College baseball team earned their first ECC Tournament win since 2010 with a 21-17 win over No. 2 seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College.
After two scoreless innings, the Spartans took a 3-0 lead on a Gregory DiGiaro two-run single and a Sean Lynch groundout. Mercy answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1. Senior Janiel Ramirez (Windsor, Conn./The College of Saint Rose) doubled and later scored on a sophomore Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) RBI single.
The Mavericks would tie the game at 3-3 in the fourth inning. Graduate student Steven Schoen (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Sacred Heart University) and freshman Zach Ashline (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) walked to lead off the inning and Schoen would score on a freshman Sean McAdams (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. Junior Gabe Sanders (Dunedin, Fla./Central Alabama CC) singled home Ashline to tie the game at 3-3.
The Spartans regained the lead with seven runs in the top of the fifth to take a 10-3 lead. STAC looked to have the game in hand, but the Mavericks had other plans and came back with a stunning 14-run inning to take a 17-10 lead. Senior Nolan Giblin (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-Dewitt) singled and Schoen doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Ashline then doubled to right center, scoring both Schoen and Giblin to make it 10-5. Following a groundout to make two outs in the inning, McAdams smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence to make it 10-7. Sanders singled and Ramirez walked before junior Jared Hernandez (Moca, P.R./Friends University) doubled to score Sanders, making it 10-8. Caballero walked before Giblin reached on a fielder's choice to bring home Ramirez, making it 10-9. Schoen drew a bases-loaded walk to score Hernandez tying the game at 10-10. Ashline was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, plating Caballero to give Mercy an 11-10 lead. Giblin scored on a passed ball to put the Mavericks up 12-10 and Schoen scored after sophomore Joseph Gonzalez (Monroe, N.Y./Rockland CC) reached on an error to increase the lead to 13-10. McAdams singled to center field to score Ashline to make it 14-10. Sanders capped off the impressive inning with a three-run bomb over the left field fence to give Mercy a 17-10 lead.
STAC answered with four runs in the top of the sixth to make it 17-14. The Spartans inched closer with a run in the seventh inning to cut Mercy's lead to one, 17-16.
Mercy continued to swing the bats and plated three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 20-16. Gonzalez singled and McAdams reached on an error before Sanders tripled to left center, scoring two runs to make it 19-16. Ramirez then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Sanders to give Mercy a 20-16 lead.
The Mavericks increased the lead to 21-16 in the eighth inning on a Giblin home run to left center field.
The Spartans would score a run in the ninth inning to make it 21-17, but graduate student Ryan DeMille (Millstone, N.J./Dominican University) induced a double play to give Mercy their first ECC Tournament win since 2010.
Sanders went 4-for-5 with three runs, a home run and a game-high six RBI. McAdams went 3-for-4 with three runs, a home run and four RBI and Giblin went 3-for-6 with a home run, three runs and two RBI. Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two runs and Schoen went 1-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Caballero went 1-for-5 with an RBI and Ashline went 1-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Ramirez and Hernandez both went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Graduate student Kevin Seckler (Beacon, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) made the start and pitched three innings with three runs allowed to take a no-decision. Freshman Riley Williams (Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket) pitched 0.2 innings with one earned run allowed to earn his first collegiate win. DeMille recorded the final two outs to earn his first save.
STAC was led by Andrew Guerra who went 3-for-6 with four RBI. Mateo Reyes allowed two earned runs to take the loss.
Mercy had 17 hits and three errors and STAC had 22 hits and two errors.
Provided by the Mercy Sports Information Department.
