FORT PIERCE, FL. - The Maritime College baseball team faced a tough doubleheader on Friday afternoon as they took on Elizabethtown College. The Blue Jays were able to steal both games from the Privateers with scores of 12-4 and 11-5.
In the opening game, Elizabethtown came out hot and put up seven runs in the top of the first inning. Maritime responded in the bottom half of the inning to keep the score within reach as they scored three of their own.
Matt Eng (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) led off with a single through the left side, and then
Travis Zurita (Ozone Park, NY/Poly Prep) drew a walk to put Eng in scoring position. Two batters later,
Jake Vera (Plainview, NY/Bethpage) drew a throwing error from the shortstop and Eng was able to cross home plate on the play. After
Antonio Diaz (Freeport, NY/Freeport) walked to load the bases,
Adam Mosca (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa) delivered a single through the left side to score Zurita. The rally came to a close after
Austen Bishop (Millersville, MD/Archbishop Spalding) hit a ground ball up the middle, which allowed Vera to score and make it a four-run lead for the Blue Jays.
Unfortunately, Maritime couldn't keep the offensive momentum going as the game went on and they were only able to add on one more run in the sixth inning behind a sacrifice fly from
Bobby Martin (Carmel, NY/Carmel) that scored
Joe Cordero (Franklin Square, NY/Kellenberg).
Matt Paghidas (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place),
Blaise Delise (Bellerose, NY/HS For Construction), and
Nick Mateyunas (Northport NY, Northport) combined for seven innings on the mound, with Mateyunas throwing two innings and only allowing one hit.
In the second game,
Kevin Brady (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) earned the start and battled his way out of the first inning unscathed by forcing three ground ball outs. Unfortunately, Brady couldn't keep the powerful Elizabethtown offense under wraps much longer as they tacked on six runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Similar to the first game, Maritime's offense responded to the big rally by cutting into the lead in their following at-bats.
Ryan Rockhill (Eastchester, NY/Tuckahoe) got it going with a lead-off single, but after the next two batters struck out, Eng stepped up to the plate hoping to start a two-out rally. The Brooklyn, NY native drilled a single through the left side, and then Zurita drove both runners home with a double down the left field line.
After both teams were held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the Blue Jays extended their lead with a five-run sixth inning. The Privateers attempted a late comeback in the top of the seventh as they scored three more runs, but the lead was too much to overcome and they eventually fell 11-5. Eng and Zurita led the offense with two hits each, while Zurita tallied four RBIs.
Travis Bruinsma (Ronkonkoma, NY/Connetqot) entered the game in relief for Maritime and threw two scoreless innings for Maritime.
The Privateers return to action for their final game in Florida tomorrow at 10 a.m. against Muskinghum University.
