PLEASANTVILLE, NY – The Pace University baseball team broke open a tight game in the latter stages, scoring twice in the sixth and four times in the seventh as the Setters topped the Mercy Mavericks 8-1 in a non-conference contest.

Pace is now 7-14 on the season while the Mavericks drop to 9-15.

The Setters got on the board in the second inning when with one out, James Pjura (Shelton, CT/Shelton) (Shelton, CT/Shelton) singled through the right side. Chris Gili (Manorville, NY/Eastport-South Manor) (Manorville, NY/Eastport-South Manor) followed with a walk. Two batters later, Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) looped a single back of first base to plate both runners and put Pace up 2-0.

The game would remain that way until the sixth when Ian Wukitsch (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) led off with a walk. Two batters later, Gili delivered a perfectly placed bunt single up the first base line. After a fly out, Mayo singled back through the middle to plate Wukitsch, pushing the lead to 3-0. Brett Bittiger (Saylorsburg, PA/Pius X) (Saylorsburg, PA/Pius X High School) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before Andrew Coffey (Greenwich, CT/Old Avon Farms) (Greenwich, CT/Old Avon Farms) drew a walk to force in Gili to make it 4-0.

After the Mavericks tallied a run in the top of the seventh, the Setters took advantage of two Mercy errors in the bottom of the frame to score four runs and seal the victory.

On the mound, Mike Sweeney (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) (Wayne, NJ/De Paul Catholic) started and threw four shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Samuel Gaitan (Forest Hills, NY/St. Francis Prep) earned his first Pace win, tossing a shutout inning in relief, striking out two.

Pace now heads out on the road for a Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division series at Le Moyne starting with a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon.