NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Maritime Baseball team dropped a pair of Skyline Conference games to the Mount St. Mary Knights on Saturday afternoon, falling in the opener by a 5-3 score and dropping the second game by a 7-3 mark.
 
Maritime was led by sophomore Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington), who recorded five hits in his six at bats, including one double. With his five hits, Semler now has 45 hits on the year breaking the previous single-season mark of 43 hits set by his older brother, Joey Semler '13 back during Joey's junior season in 2012.
 
Semler's double also gives him 12 on the year, which breaks the previous single-season mark set by current sophomore Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) during the 2015 season. As a freshman, Deddo recorded 11 two-base hits. His six total bases on the day also extended his single-season lead, which he broke by one on Wednesday versus Merchant Marine.
 
Junior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) was 3-for-5 with one RBI, while sophomore Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) drove in a pair of runs on the afternoon.
 
Senior Justin Baierlein (Richmond Hill, N.Y./High School for CTEA) reached on a pair of hits and led the team with a pair of runs on the day. Senior Kevin Monahan (Seaford, N.Y./MacArthur) scored a run and also collected an RBI on the day with a pair of stolen bases, while rookie Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) also drove in a run for the Privateers.
 
On the hill, freshman A.J. Ammirati (Queens, N.Y./Construction) got the starting nod in game one and went the distance and struck out nine batters over his eight innings of work. Sophomore Anthony D'Ancona (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) started in game two and struck out four batters over his 5 2/3 innings, before freshman Sean McQuail (Middle Village, N.Y./Cathedral Prep) took to the hill and retired the final batter in the sixth inning of game two.
 
In the opener, Ammirati matched zeroes with his counterpart from the Knights through the first inning, but allowed a one-out triple and subsequent single to fall behind by a 1-0 score.
 
Maritime responded in the top of the third as Baierlein led off the inning with a leadoff bunt single, and after advancing to third was chased home by Monahan, who had reached on an error.
 
McLaughlin led off the fourth inning with a double and moved to third on a base hit by Semler. Schiavoni drove a deep drive to center, which allowed McLaughlin to tag up and score second run of the game to put Maritime ahead by a 2-1 score.
 
The Privateers increased their lead to a 3-1 mark as senior Paul Woodburn (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) and McLaughlin reached to start off the inning. Semler then singled to load the bases, while Schiavoni followed with a walk to force home a run. However, Mount St. Mary did not allow a hit as they got the next batter on a strikeout, followed by a double play.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Knights strung together four hits and retook the lead by a 5-3 score as the game moved to the seventh.
 
Ammirati allowed a walk over the final two innings, but nothing further. The offense was just as quiet for the Privateers despite a pair of two-out singles from Semler and Schiavoni in the top of the eighth.
 
In game two, Maritime jumped ahead by a 1-0 score in the top of the second inning. Semler led off the frame with a double down the left field line and moved to third on a groundout. McLaughlin sent a fly ball into right field, allowing Semler to tag and put the Privateers up early in the game.
 
D'Ancona let up a lead off single in the first, and then retired the side in the bottom of the second. A leadoff error by the Privateers in the bottom of the third led to a run-scoring groundout as the Knights evened the game at one.
 
An error by the Privateers in the bottom of the led to yet another run as Mount St. Mary took their first lead of the game at 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth. The Knights added three more runs in the fifth to move ahead by four runs.
 
In the top of the sixth, Maritime chipped away at the deficit as Monahan walked then stole second and moved up to third on an error. After a Woodburn walk, Semler drove home Monahan with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. The Knights answered back with two more in the bottom of the inning to expand its lead to a 7-2 mark.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Privateers added one more run as Baierlein reached with a one-out double. Freshman Jimmy Guerriero (Floral Park, N.Y./Floral Park) singled to move Baierlein to third, followed by Scerra reaching on a fielder's choice as Baierlein crossed the plate with the game's final run.
 
Maritime (19-12, 8-4 Skyline) will look toward tomorrow's home doubleheader against the Old Westbury Panthers, which begins at 11 a.m. on the Reinhart Baseball Field.
 
Mount St. Mary (13-19, 7-4 Skyline) will host Farmingdale tomorrow afternoon for a league doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. from the Mount St. Mary Baseball Complex.