MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Graduate outfielder Jaylen Kelley strung together a three-hit game with a run batted in while senior utility player Damaurys Rodriguez continued his hot start to the season, going 3-for-6 with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored against Mercy University in Myrtle Beach on Friday afternoon. But seven unanswered runs across the final three innings for the Mavericks would help them snap their two-game losing streak while sending the Eagles into a two-game losing streak with the 11-6 defeat heading into their three-game weekend to end the trip. 

THE BASICS

Post University 6, Mercy University 11
    
Post University (0-2)

Mercy University (3-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Rodriguez and Kelley would account for all the damage done in the first inning of this affair as an RBI single by Kelley after Rodriguez's leadoff home run gave the Eagles a quick 3-0 lead with graduate right-hander Joe Christiana on the bump. Junior outfielder Harby Valera doubled that lead against freshman pitcher Andre Jenkins as it was Post with the four-run advantage early on after they trailed a day ago against Franklin Pierce University by four after one. 

The lead would be short-lived as two RBI singles from junior outfielder Kolongi Goins and junior corner infielder David Bernard Jr. paved the way for a game-tying two-run shot by junior outfielder Zach Ashline off Christiana to tie things back up at four all. For the Mavericks, Jenkins would end up going five innings after the rough start, allowing two more runs on an RBI double in the fourth by graduate infielder Hayden Roberge and senior infielder Hunter Keller's RBI single which allowed Post to retake the lead by two runs, 6-4.

The freshman finished the game giving up those six runs on 13 hits with four strikeouts and a walk, but lasted an inning longer than Christiana who went four innings and gave up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in what was a tie game when he departed. But from the seventh inning on, it would be all Mavericks en route to the 11-6 come-from-behind victory via seven unanswered runs off the Post bullpen. A combined three pitchers were used by the Eagles over the last five innings of the game in which they allowed seven runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

In the first two games of the season, the bullpen for Post has accounted for eight innings of work with 11 runs given up on 14 hits to go along with eight strikeouts and only one walk. Bullpens of their two opponents have allowed just one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in the same span. 

The comeback charge by all accounts was a team effort for the Mavericks who saw all nine of the batters in their starting lineup reach base via hit or walk with eight of them tallying hits. Junior infielder Sean McAdams was the lone Mercy hitter to not get on via hit, but reached on a walk and crossed the plate which all nine hitters also did for the road team. Goins and Ashline each had three RBIs apiece with Goins going 3-for-4 recording a double and scoring twice while Ashline had his home run to go along with a single and a run scored.

Post's offense was just as loud to the tune of 17 hits, but 13 of those came off Jenkins in the first five innings of the game while the remaining four were scattered over the last four innings. The Eagles would have their best chance to jump back ahead in the seventh inning, trailing 7-6, with the bases loaded and one out but sophomore outfielder Dario Sosa's strike out and freshman infielder Rene Vega III's ground out ended the threat against freshman pitcher Ryan DiNapoli.

DiNapoli, who picked up his second win of the season, went 2 1/3 innings before being relieved by junior pitcher Samuel Gil for the final 1 2/3 innings. Gil came in with a three-run lead and two runners on base, escaping the jam with the lead still intact and finishing off the ninth to earn his third save of the young season. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Recording his first home run as part of the Post University program, Damaurys Rodriguez's first-inning long ball was his first in a college game since his freshman year at Division I Bryant University during a season in which he had four home runs -- Rodriguez finished the game 3-for-6 with the home run, two singles, an RBI, and two runs scored 
• Eight of the nine hitters in the starting lineup for Mercy University recorded at least one hit while six batters had multi-hit games -- Sean McAdams was the only Mavericks hitter to not reach via a hit, but did score once as did at least all nine hitters today 
• Allowing 10-plus runs for the second straight game to start the season, this is the first time since the 2023 season in which Post University has allowed 10 or more runs in back-to-back games when they did so in three straight games from March 11th, 2023 until March 13th, 2023 
• This was the first matchup between Post University and Mercy University since an April 2015 doubleheader at Municipal Stadium which the two teams split -- The Mavericks have now won two straight games in the all-time series while still trailing 7-5 overall in their 12 matchups 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University prepares for an afternoon doubleheader tomorrow against Queens College starting at 2:30 PM in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina which will both be seven innings. After dropping their doubleheader against the Knights last year in South Carolina, the Eagles shut them out less than two weeks later in Flushing, New York, 3-0, behind Joe Christiana's 11-strikeout performance.