PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University baseball team lost its home finale, falling to Mercy College 12-10 Tuesday, April 25. The Setters trailed 12-1 entering the ninth inning, then rallied for nine runs before coming up just short in their comeback attempt.
Mercy (12-28) jumped in front right out of the gate, as Sean McAdams hit a two-run homer to left to get the Mavericks on the board.
The Setters (24-14, 4-8 NE10) answered in the bottom of the second, as grad student outfielder Mitchell McCabe (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford/ Bridgton Academy) launched a solo home run well over the left field fence to get Pace on the board. Pace went on to load the bases with one out, but Mercy was able to turn a double play to get the out of the inning holding a 2-1 lead.
The Mavericks got the first two runners on to start the third, and a single loaded the bases with nobody out. However, a check swing turned into a 1-2-3 double play, and a flyout got Pace out of the inning without allowing a run.
The Setters drew a pair of walks to start the third, but a double play and popup kept the home team off the board as they stranded one, still trailing by a run heading to the fourth.
In the fifth, a pair of singles and error loaded the bases with nobody out, and an RBI hit by Gabe Sanders gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. A hit by pitch forced in another run, and a sacrifice fly brought in one more to make it 5-1.
Mercy continued to pile on the runs, getting an RBI single from Jaden Caballero to extend its lead to five. A two-run single with two out brought it to an 8-1 score, as the Mavericks put up six runs in the inning.
Pace got a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth, and a ground-rule double by junior Luke Rivara (Lake Worth, Fla./Saint John Paul II Academy) put runners on second and third as the Setters looked to cut into the Mercy lead. But the next two batters were retired, as Pace left two stranded with the score still 8-1.
Freshman pitcher Ethan Lynch (Sherborn, Mass./Dover-Sherborn) made the first appearance of his collegiate career in the seventh, setting the Mavericks down with a 1-2-3 inning.
Mercy added to its lead in the eighth, getting a three-run homer from Zach Ashline. The visitors added one more in the ninth, making it a 12-1 game.
The Setters got back-to-back RBI doubles from junior Cole Resetar (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness) and sophomore shortstop Mason Baronian (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) in the ninth, and an RBI hit from freshman outfielder Justin Crispino (Commack, N.Y./Commack) brought it to a 12-4 score. A pair of hits then loaded the bases with nobody out as Pace looked to rally all the way back. Sophomore catcher Hunter Goldstein (Jericho, N.Y./Jericho) stepped to the plate for Pace and drove a three-run triple to centerfield, pulling the home team within four.
After a single by freshman infielder Robbie Caffrey (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey), McCabe stepped up and hit his second home run of the day, a two-run blast over the left centerfield wall to make it a two-run game at 12-10. However, the Setters only got one baserunner after the home run, falling just short of a remarkable comeback.
Up Next
The Setters return to the field Wednesday, April 26, when they are at Caldwell University for a 3:30 p.m. matchup.
