The Lincoln University baseball team dropped both ends of the East Coast Conference doubleheader with Mercy College Saturday, but it wasn't without some hullabaloo.
 

GAME ONE: MERCY 7, LINCOLN 4

Sophomore Josiah Lara (Plant City Fla./Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) deserved a better fate.
 

Lara was simply magical on the mound for six-plus innings as the righty held the Mavericks to just two hits, including opening the game by retiring the first nine. Mercy got the first two batters on in the sixth, one via hit and another via walk. He got an out with a strikeout, and then controversy.
 

The next batter hit a hooking fly ball that cleared the fence on the foul side of the foul pole, but to the chagrin and dismay of all of the Lincoln faithful – it was deemed fair for a game-changing home run. A Maverick team that was quiet, silent and befuddled – now had life as a 4-0 LU lead was down to 4-3. The momentum continued throughout the inning, and once the inning finally ended, Mercy was leading 6-4.
 

Lara, who got a no-decision, allowed four runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five with two walks. Sophomore Leon McKnight (Philadelphia Pa./Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter), 0-1, faced four batters but didn't record an out.
 

The ending of the game, not only overshadowed Lara's outing, it dwarfed the offensive effort.
 

A pair of walks and a wild pitch gave Lincoln its first opportunity in the second inning, and sophomore Jefry Azcona (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) cashed it in with an RBI single that brought home senior CarVonte Williams (Cleveland, Ohio/Twinsburg).
 

Lincoln brought the two-out thunder in the fourth inning with three consecutive doubles. Sophomore Josh Shepherd (Bowie, Md./Bowie) began the rally, followed by back-to-back RBI doubles off the bat of Azcona and sophomore Damaal Sands (Nassau, Bahamas/Montverde Academy (FL)). Junior Alex Jones (Bear Del./Appoquinimink) capped the scoring with an RBI single.
 

Jones went 3-for-4, his second three-hit game of the season, with an RBI, while Shepherd recorded his second multi-hit game of the season – going 2-for-3.
 

GAME TWO: MERCY 13, LINCOLN 3

An eight-run third inning provided the boost needed for the Mavericks as they completed the three-game series sweep with the 13-3 win.
 

Freshman Gabriel Sanchez (Anthony, N.M/Anthony) allowed five consecutive hits, three doubles, after being hit in the pitching hand by a thrown ball. He finished with eight runs allowed – six earned – on six hits in 2 1/3 innings. Sophomore Hasan Aquil (Washington, D.C./Banneker) went a career-long 4 2/3 innings of relief, allowing five runs – four earned – on five hits with a strikeout and two walks.
 

Lincoln took the early lead with a sacrifice fly by Williams and tallied another run with a sacrifice fly by Azcona. Freshman Jalen Godette (Queens Village, N.Y./Queens Prep Academy), who doubled earlier in the inning, scored the third LU run on a Jones single.
 

Godette had the lone extra-base hit, while three other players – Williams, Jones, and Azcona – had singles.
 

Lincoln returns to action 3 p.m. Friday at D'Youville for a nine-inning game to begin a three-game ECC series.