The Maritime College baseball team opened up its 2019 season with a bang as they swept Southern Vermont on Saturday, Feb. 23 by scores of 6-5 and 12-5. The opening game was highlighted by a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh by Adam Mosca (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa). The Privateers then kept the momentum going into game two as they dominated the Mountaineers by scoring 11 runs in the final four innings.

GAME 1
Travis Bruinsma (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) got the start for Maritime in the opening game, but the junior pitcher couldn't find his rhythm in the first inning as Southern Vermont took a quick 2-0 lead. After a scoreless bottom half of the inning, Bruinsma started to find his groove and stranded two runners on base in the top of the second. 

Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, N.Y./Chaminade) got the offensive momentum started for the Privateers in the bottom of the second, by drawing a walk and stealing second and third base. Jake Vera (Plainview, N.Y./Bethpage) then stepped up to the plate and kept the ball to the left side of the field to allow Sullivan to cross home plate and cut the advantage to 2-1. Maritime then took its first lead of the game in the following inning after a throwing error allowed Eric Wenig (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) to score. Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) then kept the rally going by singling to left field and scoring Travis Zurita (Ozone Park, N.Y./Poly Prep) from second base. Bruinsma held the lead for Maritime in the top of the fourth by forcing two ground outs and a strikeout.

Vera chalked up his second RBI of the day in the bottom of the fourth by doubling down the left field line and scoring Antonio Diaz (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) after he singled and stole second base. After both teams scored in the fifth inning, the Mountaineers cut the lead to 5-4 in the sixth inning after a lead-off home run. Southern Vermont then kept its comeback hopes alive in the top of the seventh inning by knotting up the score at 5. However, with the bases loaded and only one out, Skylar Graff (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) came up with two big strikeouts to give the offense a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Mosca took advantage of the opportunity and blasted a solo home run with one out to seal the victory for Maritime.

GAME 2
Southern Vermont responded in game two by hitting a grand slam in the first inning to put Maritime behind once again. The Privateers started their comeback in the bottom half of the inning after Sullivan doubled down the left field line to bring in Zurita and make it a 4-1 advantage.

Despite the first inning hiccup, Maritime's defense buckled down the rest of the way and kept Southern Vermont scoreless for the next five innings. In the bottom of the third the Privateers cut the lead to one after Vera and Diaz both picked up RBI's. The next inning, Maritime took its first lead of the game after Zurita got the rally going with a double, which put himself and Ryan Rockhill (Eastchester, NY/Tuckahoe) in scoring position. Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) stepped up and took advantage of the runners in scoring position by singling to score Rockhill, then executing a double steal to allow Zurita to cross the plate and make it a 5-4 Maritime advantage.

With the momentum clearly favoring the Privateers, the floodgates opened up in the bottom of the fifth as they scored six runs to take control of the second game. Wenig, Mosca, Russo, and Sullivan all picked up RBI's in offensive explosion. Maritime went on to close out the sweep with a 12-5 win over Southern Vermont.

Nick Fortunato (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) picked up the win for the Privateers as he pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. Zurita scored three runs in the game, while Sullivan and Wenig both drove in two runs to lead Maritime on offense. 

"It feels great to open up the season with a sweep," said head coach Charlie Barbieri. "I'm proud of the way we overcame early deficits in both games and I'm excited to see if we can bring the same energy tomorrow against another tough team in Plattsburgh State."

The Privateers take on Plattsburgh State in a doubleheader tomorrow at noon at Baseball Heaven. Maritime will then take on NYU the following Sunday before heading to Florida for five games during spring break.