FORT PIERCE, FL - The Maritime College baseball team dropped their first game of the 2020 season on Thursday afternoon as they fell to Lebanon Valley College 16-5. The Privateers opened up their season with a doubleheader sweep of Plattsburgh St. and a win in Florida yesterday against Northland College, but now stand at 3-1 overall with the loss to the Dutchmen who improved to 8-2 on the year.

J.P. Silvestri (Bronx, NY/Fordham Prep) got the start on the mound for Maritime and started out solid the first two innings only allowing two hits and a run. Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the third, the Privateers started to find some rhythm at the plate as Adam Mosca (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa) doubled down the left field line and then stole third base two batters later. After a Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, NY/Chaminade) sacriifice fly attempt came up a little short in the wind, Matt Eng (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) got hit by a pitch and then stole second base to put runners on second and third with two outs and Travis Zurita (Ozone Park, NY/Poly Prep) at the plate. Unfortunately, Zurita couldn't deliver the equalizer for Maritime and they entered the bottom of the third still trailing by a run.

Lebanon Valley College then went on to open up the game with the momentum on their side as they increased the lead to 5-0. The scoring continued for the Dutchmen through the next few innings and they eventually extended the lead to 14-0. The Privateers weren't backing down yet though as they scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Eng led off the sixth with an infield single and then a throwing error advanced him to second base. Zurita stepped up to the plate next and crushed a double to right field, which scored Eng. Two batters later, Antonio Diaz (Freeport, NY/Freeport) drove in Zurita from third base with a single to right field. The big inning continued for the Privateers as Mosca hit his second double of the day, which scored two runners to make the score 14-4. The sixth inning was capped off with an RBI single up the middle for Eric Wenig (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley).

Maritime couldn't keep the momentum going from the five-run sixth inning and fell to Lebanon Valley College 16-5. Mosca led the offense by going 2/3 with two double and two RBIs, while Silvestri pitched 4.2 innings on 95 pitches. Gabe Zwerin (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) and Joe Ragone (Yonkers, NY/Stepinac) closed out the game on the mound for the Privateers.

Maritime returns to action tomorrow for a doubleheader against Elizabethtown at 10:00 a.m.