Garden City, N.Y. - In their first home games of 2025, the Adelphi University softball team swept its doubleheader against Mercy University on Sunday afternoon at Janet L. Ficke Field, by the final scores of 3-2 and 4-0.

Game 1: Adelphi 3, Mercy 2
The matinee consisted of tightly-contested action from the first pitch to the final out. 

After the first six batters were retired each way for the first two frames, offense began to take more of a role in the third. With a runner in scoring position and two outs, Mercy's Allison Murphy hit one up the middle to send the runner bolting for the plate. Center fielder Jordyn Pasqueralli's throw to the plate was in time, but freshman catcher Maddy Moore was ruled to have obstructed the basepath, putting the Mavericks on the board.

In the home half, four hits tied the game for the Panthers. Zee Zee Shreter chimed in with one of her own, and after reaching first base, a throwing error by the Blue and White scored Brianna Pearson. 

Starting pitcher Jenna Plue let up a single in the road half of the fourth, but sat down the next three she faced to subdo any visting threat. A deep fly ball from Pearson in the home half was dropped in center field, with Ellen Tarjan coming across the plate to break the tie. Courtney Murphy's immediate single provided a needed insurance run, quickly doubling the 'Cats lead. 

Plue did not allow a hit the following two innings, with her lone baserunner allowed coming off an error. In the process, she tallied three K's to put the Panthers within three outs of victory. 

A quick single and double down the right field line scored Mercy's second run of the day with no outs. However, the throw home was early enough for Moore to gun down Jessica Fox at third base, clearing the bags. From there, Plue recorded the final two outs with ease, securing her first pitching win of the season. Her strikeout total rounded out at five, allowing just four hits with one walk on 92 pitches. 

Game 2: Adelphi 4, Mercy 0
The nightcap consisted of an early strike from the Panthers, and controlled defense the rest of the way through. 

It didn't take long for runs to come home, as the offense was out to play by the first inning. With two on, Pearson belted one to the gap in left center field, scoring both Shreter and Murphy. 

Tarjan and freshman Meghan Fisher both snuck hits past third base, with the former hitting the bag to tally the third and fourth run of the opening frame. 

Through the first four innings, sophomore Lily Kenney allowed a single baserunner, a double from Mercy's Keira Jantz. With some mounting pressure in the top of the fifth, two runners got into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt. Bringing her best performance when it mattered, Kenney fanned the next batter swinging, stranding both on base. 

More visitor opportunities appeared in the sixth, as runners once again reached second and third base, this time with no outs. A flyout, swinging strikeout, and lineout in that order sent the home crowd into a raucuous cheer. 

Despite another reaching on an error in the seventh, Kenney put Mercy to bed, netting her seventh strikeout in the process. Her third win of 2025 consisted of a complete game shutout, allowing four hits on 93 pitches. 

Head Coach Katie Apostolopoulos and the Panthers will be back in action on Tuesday, March 18 to continue their homestand. First pitch against Queens College is scheduled for 2 p.m.