PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – After resuming Tuesday's suspended matchup between the Pace University baseball team and Mercy College on Thursday, it only took one inning for the game to conclude, as Mercy walked off on a double by designated hitter Charles Fina in the bottom of the 10th give the Mavericks an 11-10 win at Peter X. Finnerty Field. The Setters dropped to 3-5 overall after the loss, while the Mavericks improved to 4-5.
The Setters took full control of the game early on. They kicked off the scoring in the top of the second with a three-run rally, capped off by junior center fielder
John Kukura (New City, NY/Clarkstown South)'s RBI triple that gave Pace a 3-0 lead. The Setters doubled the lead in the top of the fourth with another three runs. Kukura came up clutch once again with a two-RBI double.
Mercy's bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth, as the Mavericks strung together five hits for six runs to tie the game. Center fielder Scott Hagan added an RBI single in the sixth to give Mercy its first lead of the game at 7-6.
Sophomore left fielder
Michael Gulino (Meriden, CT/Maloney) tied the game in the seventh with a triple to right, plating senior third baseman
Nick LoBello (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin). Mercy responded with another rally in the home half of the inning, bringing in three runs to take a 10-7 advantage.
Sophomore shortstop
Paul Piccolino (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) doubled to left in the eighth, bringing home senior catcher
Frank Mayo (Middletown, NY/Minisink Valley) to cut the deficit to two. Kukura brought in his fourth RBI of the game shortly after on a single to left, bringing Piccolino home to make it a one-run game.
In the top of the ninth, sophomore
Matthew Kurdewan (Neptune, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) came up to pinch hit, and came through with an RBI double to left-center that scored Gulino to tie the game. Mercy loaded the bases with one away in the bottom of the ninth before Piccolino moved from short to the mound. He got the second out on a fielder's choice, forcing the runner out at the plate, and then got the next batter to pop up to second, forcing extra innings.
With a runner on and two away in the top of the 10th, the game was suspended by the umpires due to darkness. The game picked up at Finnerty Field on Thursday before the regularly scheduled game between Pace and Mercy. The Setters were unable to score in the top of the 10th, and Mercy used home-field advantage away from home by walking off on Fina's RBI double.
Piccolino shouldered his first loss of the year after allowing the winning run in 0.2 innings of relief. Matt Snyder picked up the win for Mercy after getting the final out of the 10th inning.
Kukura hit 3-for-6 with four RBIs, a triple and a double in the game. Mayo batted 4-for-5 with three runs scored, two doubles and a stolen base. Piccolino hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and a double. Gulino went 3-for-5 with two runs, an RBI, a triple and a double.
Mercy was led by Hagan and Fina, who had matching 2-for-5, three-RBI, one-run efforts. Shortstop Bryan Torres hit 2-for-6 with two RBIs and a run.
Pace and Mercy matched up once again at Finnerty Field shortly after this game concluded.
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