FORT PIERCE, FL – The Maritime College baseball team began its annual Florida trip on Thursday with a doubleheader against Houghton.  The Privateers (3-1) scored four runs in the top of the first inning in game one en route to an 11-1 victory, then completed the sweep of the Highlanders (3-5) with a 9-2 win in the second contest at the Lanwood Sports Complex.

After Anthony Madigan (Greenlawn, NY) led off game one with a double to left, Freddy Forgione (Ronkonkoma, NY) followed with a double of his own to give Maritime an early lead.  Logan Martinson (Sumner, WA) and Jaden Shea (Severn, MD) then ripped RBI singles before Chris Felder (Wallingford, PA) drew a bases loaded walk.  The Privateers made it 5-0 when Madigan singled home Felder in the third.

Houghton put one on the board in the bottom of the fourth, but Maritime added three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh.  Madigan was at the heart of both rallies, scoring on Martinson's RBI single in the sixth, then lifting a sacrifice fly in the seventh.  Forgione was then intentionally walked before Matt Milone (Farmingville, NY) ripped a two-run triple to left that gave the Privateers an 11-1 advantage.

Each of the first four hitters in the Maritime lineup drove in at least two runs in the victory.  Madigan finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Forgione was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.  Felder had two extra-base hits and scored twice.  Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, NY) (1-0) was the beneficiary of all that offense.  He lasted six innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking two.  Jack Kellner (Seaford, NY) recorded one strikeout in the seventh.

Ryan Newtown (0-1) took the loss for the Highlanders after allowing five runs on seven hits over five innings.  He struck out six and walked one.  Jackson Medeiros was charged with six runs (five earned) and seven hits in two innings of work.  He issued a walk and also registered a strikeout.

In game two, Houghton struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first.  Zach Parr gave the Highlanders the lead with his RBI single to left, and Dylan Boprey walked with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.  Maritime starter Brandon Stanley (Swedesboro, NY) got the next hitter, Sebastian Rodriguez to ground into an inning-ending double play, however, and he would allow just one Houghton hit the rest of the way.

Nick Pinggera's (Kings Park, NY) RBI double in the bottom of the second brought Maritime within 2-1, then the Privateers took the lead with a five-spot in the fourth.  Shea tied the game with an RBI single to center before Christian Ark (Rocky Point, NY) doubled with the bases loaded to put Maritime in front.  Madigan was up next, and he knocked an RBI double to left that made it 6-2.

Ark and Madigan started another Maritime rally in the sixth.  Ark was hit by a pitch to start the inning before Madigan followed with a single (his fifth hit of the twinbill).  After Milone singled to load the bases, Ark scored on Michael Frazzetta's (Howard Beach, NY) groundout.  Rob Copozzi (Center Moriches, NY) then deposited a two-run single to center, extending the Privateers' advantage to 9-2.  Joseph Sorge (Montgomery, NY) relieved Stanley in the seventh and retired Houghton in order to finish off the victory.

As a team, Maritime belted out 13 hits in game two (and 27 total in the doubleheader).  Copozzi finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Pinggera was 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.  Ark reached base all three times in his first collegiate start.  He ripped a pair of doubles, drove in three runs and scored twice.  Stanley (2-0) earned the win after giving up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in the sixth.  Sorge was credited with two strikeouts in the seventh.

Parr had two of Houghton's four hits.  He also drove in a run and stole a base.  Jose Morales and Jason Kauffeldt, meanwhile, scored the Highlanders' two runs.  Houghton starting pitcher Ethan Cetton (0-2) lasted four innings on the mound.  He yielded six runs on eight hits, struck out seven and walked three.  Trevor Ciccotti surrendered three runs on five hits and recorded one strikeout in two innings of work.

Maritime is back in action on Friday with another doubleheader.  The Privateers take on Northwestern (MN) (0-0) starting at 11 a.m.