Francella's Gem Lifts UB Baseball To An ECC Spilt With Mercy College

Bridgeport, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport baseball team split an East Coast Conference home doubleheader with the visiting Mercy College Mavericks on Saturday afternoon in Seaside Park, as Mercy took the opener, 5-3, and the Purple Knights bounced back to take the nightcap, 4-1.  With the split, UB is now 9-13 overall and 1-2 in conference play.  Mercy is now 8-14 overall and 2-1 the ECC.

In game one, UB scored three runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI-single by senior Craig Leonard (Holtsville, N.Y.) and a two-run double by sophomore Anthony Pascale (Stony Brook, N.Y.), who had two hits in each game on Saturday.

Mercy would plate a run in the fourth and secure the win with four runs in the top of the seventh inning in the opener.

Graduate student Conall Roberts (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) also had two hits and stole two bases for the Purple Knights in game one.

In game two, graduate student Andrew Francella (New Rochelle, N.Y.) was the story on the mound for Bridgeport, as after allowing a run in the top of the first inning, he completely shut down the Mercy offense to earn his second win of 2022; firing a complete game, in which he allowed only six hits with seven strikeouts and only one walk.

UB scored all of its runs in the nightcap in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-RBI double by Anthony Pascale, an RBI-single by junior Tyler Sharfetz (Fords, N.J.) and a double steal.

Up next, the Bridgeport baseball team will play a home non-conference game against the Chargers of Dominican (N.Y.) College on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. in Seaside Park.