THROGGS NECK, NY – On Saturday afternoon, the Maritime College baseball team played a doubleheader against Skyline Conference-leading St. Joseph's LI at Reinhart Baseball Field.  After falling by a 10-3 count in the first game, the Privateers (19-10, 10-6 Skyline) dropped a 14-9 decision to the Golden Eagles (15-8, 13-3 Skyline) in game two.

After the Golden Eagles' Ryan Decoursey hit a two-run homer in the top of the first in game one, the Privateers responded with a run in their half of the inning.  Travis Zurita (Ozone Park, NY) and Freddy Forgione (Ronkonkoma, NY) started the rally with back-to-back singles, then Ryan Rockhill (Eastchester, NY) crushed a double off the right field wall to drive in Zurita.  However, St. Joseph's LI pitcher Kevin Czeczotka got out of the jam on a double play and a strikeout.

It remained 2-1 until the top of the fourth, when Brian Forbes led off the inning with a home run to center and Decoursey followed with his second long ball of the game.  St. Joseph's LI then scored three runs in the top of the sixth and added three more in the seventh to increase their lead to 10-1. Maritime rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on a Zurita RBI single and a bases loaded walk by Xavier Cruz (Franklin Square, NY) to make the final score 10-3.

Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, NY) (3-2) started on the mound for the Privateers and took the loss.  He surrendered seven runs on seven hits, struck out seven and walked one over 5.2 innings.  Haydn Strycharz (Pittstown, NJ) pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing three runs, five hits and a walk.  Zurita and Forgione each had two of Maritime's five hits in the game.

Czeczotka (3-2) tossed six-plus innings for the Golden Eagles.  He yielded two runs on four hits, struck out nine and walked four.  Decoursey finished 3-for-3 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored, while Forbes was 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored.  Nick Vicino went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.  He also scored twice.  Joe Sangedolce drove in three runs, as well.

In game two, it was Maritime that took the early lead on Adam Mosca's (Massapequa Park, NY) bases loaded walk in the bottom of the first.  After St. Joseph's LI scored three in the top of the third, the Privateers responded with a pair of runs in their half of the inning.  Rockhill reached on a leadoff walk before Logan Martinson (Sumner, WA) and Mosca each smacked an RBI double.

St. Joseph's LI went back in front on Hermes Abreu's two-run homer in the top of the fourth, but Austen Bishop (Millersville, MD) crushed a grand slam down the right field line in the bottom half of the inning, giving Maritime a 7-5 lead.  However, the Golden Eagles scored three times in the fifth before putting up a six-spot in the sixth to open up a 14-7 advantage.

Bishop smashed his second homer of the game leading off the bottom of the seventh, and Maritime threatened again in the eighth.  Danny Green (Belle Harbor, NY) started the rally with a walk and Zurita followed with a double.  After Patrick Bartoletta (Plainview, NY) walked to load the bases, a run came across on Anthony Madigan's (Greenlawn, NY) infield single.  That's all the Privateers would get, though, as St. Joseph's LI pitcher Jack Kelly got a strikeout and a double play to end the inning.

Forgione finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, and Bishop tallied five RBIs on his two home runs.  Mosca went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Rockhill and Martinson both scored twice.  Frank Santeramo (Garden City, NY) (5-2) took the loss after giving up eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits in five innings of work.  He struck out five and walked one.

For the Golden Eagles, Abreu was 4-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and four RBIs.  Paul Gugliuzzo also hit a home run.  He finished 2-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBIs.  Decoursey, meanwhile, went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.  Charles Aurandt got the start on the mound and lasted 3.1 innings.  He surrendered six runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts.  Michael Manzolillo (3-0) earned the win after allowing three runs on five hits over 3.2 innings.  He struck out four and walked two.  Kelly tossed two shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two, to pick up the save.

The Privateers conclude their non-conference schedule on Sunday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader against CCNY (5-21).  The twinbill will be played at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, NY.