THROGGS NECK, N.Y.  – The Maritime baseball team settled for a split on Saturday afternoon against the John Jay Bloodhounds on the Reinhart Baseball Field. The Privateers fell in the opener by a 12-10 score before breaking out for a season-high 17 runs in a 17-4 victory in game two.
 
With 27 runs scored on the day, hitting was the key to the day as Maritime clubbed seven home runs on the afternoon with an all-time high six home runs in the team's lopsided win in game two.
 
The offense was led by the middle of the lineup once again as freshman Antonio Diaz (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) had a career day in just his first season with three hits, including two home runs and seven RBIs to go along with three runs scored.
 
Junior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) added three hits, including the 100th hit of his career, as he chimed in with a pair of home runs and also drove in five while scoring three runs. In addition to Deddo picking up his 100th career hit, his two home runs gave him 10 for his career as he becomes just the third player in recorded program history to reach double figures in home runs.
 
Senior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) had the team's lone home run in the opening game and amassed four hits, four RBIs and four runs scored over the duration of the day including a second home run in the second game. McLaughlin's home runs gives him nine for his career, as he pulled into a fourth place tie on the all-time home runs list with nine as he tied teammate Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington), who hit his ninth earlier in the week. On the day Semler added three hits with two runs and one RBI.
 
Senior Chris Stewart (Bethpage, N.Y./Chaminade) connected on his first career home run in the sixth inning of game two, as he picked up two hits total in the nightcap with three RBIs and two runs scored. Junior Connor Alwan (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) had three hits on the day including a double and a triple in the second game as he drove in three and scored a pair.
 
Sophomore Matt Costleigh (West Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's) added two hits with two RBIs and scored a run while classmate Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) picked up two hits and an RBI, while also scoring a pair of runs. Freshman Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) reached base and scored three runs in the second game of the afternoon.
 
Freshman Travis Bruinsma (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) started the opener and exited in the second inning before junior Anthony D'Ancona (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) came on to pitch the final 5 1/3 innings on 80 pitches.
 
The second game saw freshman Brady Dolan (York, Pa./Northeastern) start and pick up the win as he tossed three innings and yielded just one run. Sophomore A.J. Ammirati (Queens, N.Y./Construction) needed just 19 pitches to get through two scoreless innings, while freshman Matthew Paghidas (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) got through the sixth inning. Freshman Skylar Graff (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) closed out the second game and allowed just one hit before getting out of the inning on 12 pitches.
 
Game 1
In the opener John Jay jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead as three unearned runs crossed the plate against Bruinsma.
 
The Privateers responded with a three run inning of their own as Deddo and Semler reached ahead of McLaughlin's three-run home run to even the game at three. The Bloodhounds scored five in the top of the second as D'Ancona came on in relief of Bruinsma to retire the final out of the frame.
 
After John Jay added another run in the third to take a 9-3 lead, Maritime got two runs back as Semler and McLaughlin singled before junior Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) walked to load the bases. A wild pitch brought Semler home before Diaz grounded out to plate the second run of the inning for the Privateers.
 
D'Ancona got through the fourth and fifth unscathed but allowed one run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth as the Bloodhounds regained a five-run advantage at 10-5.
 
Maritime got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth as freshman Matt Lobello (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) walked followed by a single from Alwan. Costleigh followed with a two-run double to make the score 10-7. John Jay added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh to regain a five-run lead once again.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Maritime forged a comeback attempt that fell just short as McLaughlin and Russo singled to put two on with one out. Diaz was up next and drove a double into the left centerfield gap to score a pair. After a wild pitch moved Diaz to second, Scerra walked before Alwan brought home Diaz on a sacrifice fly to pull Maritime back within two at 12-10.
 
Costleigh and Deddo walked to put the go-ahead run on base, but a groundout ended the game as John Jay escaped with the game one victory.
 
Game 2
In the nightcap the Bloodhounds got on the board first with a base hit to plate the first run of the game off of Dolan.
 
The bottom of the first saw seven Privateers come to bat as Costleigh walked and stole second, Deddo homered for his 99th career hit to put the Privateers on top 2-1. Semler walked but was erased trying to steal before Russo walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring Diaz to the plate. Diaz drove a ball to deep right centerfield on a line drive that cruised over the wall to put Maritime up 4-1.
 
Dolan got through the top of the second and third as he stranded a pair of runners in both innings to send the game to the bottom of the third.
 
The Privateers added three more runs as McLaughlin launched a solo home run before Russo walked and Diaz hit his second home run in as many at bats to increase the Privateer lead to 7-1.
 
Ammirati came on in the top of the fourth and shut down the Bloodhounds with ease, as he did the same in the top of the fifth during his second inning of work.
 
After Ammirati set down the side in the fifth, the Privateer offense went back to work with a five-run fifth as Alwan drove in a pair with a triple into the left field corner before Scerra singled to drive in Alwan. Deddo had a run-scoring single before Semler notched an RBI with a sacrifice fly to give Maritime an 11-run lead at 12-1.
 
John Jay scored three runs in the next inning as Paghidas took over on the hill, but limited the damage as the Privateers still held an eight-run lead.
 
The Maritime offense continued to drive the ball with another five-run inning in the bottom of the sixth. Alwan and Scerra reached before Chris Stewart (Bethpage, N.Y./Chaminade) launched a three-run homer over the right field wall to make it an 11-run game once again. After senior Joe DiLeo (Naples, Fla./St. John Neumann) walked, Deddo crushed another long ball over the fence to cap off the Privateer scoring at 17 runs.
 
Graff took over to close out the game and allowed one hit before stranding the runner on base to seal the victory for the Privateers.
 
Maritime (16-10) will be off until next Saturday, when the team will travel to take on the St. Joseph's (Bklyn) Bears for conference doubleheader with a 12:00 p.m. start in Brooklyn.
 
John Jay (8-15) will be on the road and take on Valley Forge for a 2:00 p.m. start in Pennsylvania.