THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College baseball team hit six home runs, three in each game, all with men on base, in a doubleheader sweep of Old Westbury at Reinhart Baseball Field on Saturday afternoon. After taking the opener by a 9-6 count, the Privateers (14-5, 4-0 Skyline) earned a 10-1 win over the Panthers (8-12, 4-4 Skyline) in game two.
Alex Bardi (Wantagh, NY) belted two long balls in the second contest, giving him three homers and seven RBIs across the two games.
In game one, Maritime jumped out to a 6-0 lead after four innings.
Rob Copozzi (Center Moriches, NY) just missed a homer leading off the bottom of the second before
Harry Leipold (Thornwood, NJ) connected on a two-run shot to center field. The Privateers added three more in the third.
Anthony Madigan (Greenlawn, NY) led off the inning with a single, moved to second when
Freddy Forgione (Ronkonkoma, NY) walked, advanced to third on a fielder's choice, and scored on a wild pitch. Bardi followed with a blast to center field that increased Maritime's advantage to 5-0. Leipold tripled leading off the bottom of the fourth, then, after Forgione drew a two-out walk, came across on the back end of a double steal to make it 6-0.
After being no-hit thru four, Old Westbury finally got to
Matt Demme (Carmel, NY) in the top of the fifth. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch, and the Panthers followed with four singles, including three consecutive infield hits, to plate a pair. Old Westbury then roped six straight hits off
Jack Kellner (Seaford, NY) in the sixth to pull within 6-5. Kellner worked out of the jam, though, with a line drive and inning-ending fly out.
A leadoff error in the bottom of the sixth proved crucial, as Maritime took advantage with three insurance tallies. Madigan ripped a two-out single, which allowed
Randy Ventura (Syosset, NY) to move third. Ventura scored on a wild pitch, then Forgione connected on a no-doubt-about-it homer to left, giving the Privateers a 9-5 lead. Old Westbury scored one in the seventh before
Andrew Heiderstadt (Farmingdale, NY) finished off the 9-6 victory.
Leipold finished 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, a triple and two runs scored. Forgione reached base all four times, walking twice, singling and crushing a two-run homer. Bardi's two-run blast was one of his two hits, while Madigan had two singles and two runs scored. Demme (6-0) went five innings on the mound, giving up two runs on four hits, striking out three and walking two. Kellner and Heiderstadt each tossed an inning out of the bullpen.
Joe Morreale was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs for Old Westbury. Mike Petrucelly scored twice, while Jacob Taormina and Jamie Barrios each had two hits. Starting pitcher James Sill (1-5) took the loss after allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over three innings of work. Kenneth Dow surrendered one run on one hit and three walks in two innings before Kyle Gaertner yielded three unearned runs and two hits in the sixth. He also recorded three strikeouts.
Maritime struck early in game two, putting up a six-spot in the bottom of the first. Forgione walked and
Logan Martinson (Sumner, WA) doubled before Bardi crushed a three-run long ball to left. After
Jaden Shea (Severn, MD) and Leipold each drew a two-out walk, Ventura sent one that was barely fair down the right field line for the Privateers' second three-run homer of the inning.
It remained that way until the fourth, when the Privateers scored four runs to increase their lead to 10-0.
Michael Frazzetta (Howard Beach, NY) started the inning with a walk and Madigan followed with a double to center. Forgione roped a two-run double to make it 8-0 before Bardi went deep to left for his second home run of the game and third of the day.
Taormina put the Panthers on the board when he scored a wild pitch in the top of the fifth, but that's all Old Westbury would get off Maritime starter
Brandon Stanley (Trinity, FL). He improved to 6-1 on the season after holding the Panthers to one run on eight hits with eight strikeouts and a walk over seven innings.
Jonathan Racanello (New Rochelle, NY) and
William Chu (Port Washington, NY) each allowed a hit in an inning of relief.
Bardi finished with five RBIs on his two home runs, while Ventura also had a single to go along with his three-run homer. Forgione went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. He drew a walk, as well, reaching base in seven of his nine plate appearances over the two games.
Old Westbury outhit Maritime 10-9 in the contest, but nine of those 10 hits were singles. Taormina finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, and Morreale went 2-for-3. Frank Whitenack (2-1) took the loss after giving up eight runs on five hits over three innings. He walked six and struck out one. After Louis Pizzileo allowed two runs on two hits and notched two strikeouts in one inning of work, Rob Manetta pitched the final four innings and collected seven strikeouts while surrendering just two hits and a walk.
On Sunday, the Privateers play their first road conference doubleheader of the season. Maritime travels to Mount St. Mary (5-14, 2-4 Skyline) for a 12 p.m. twinbill.
