THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College baseball team used a pair of late-inning rallies to sweep a doubleheader with Farmingdale at Reinhart Baseball Field on Tuesday.  David Granucci (Medford, NY) hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth to give the Privateers (21-14, 12-4 Skyline) a 5-4 victory in the opener, then Randy Ventura's (Syosset, NY) three-run double in the bottom of the eighth clinched a 7-5 triumph over the Rams (19-11, 12-4 Skyline) in Game 2.  With the two wins, Maritime moved into a five-way tie for first place in the Skyline Conference.

Farmingdale took a 2-0 lead on Ryan Tam's two-run single in the first inning of Game 1.  The Privateers then tied it in the third when Owen Weber (Kings Park, NY) crushed a homer to center after Chris Picarella (Levittown, NY) walked.  Christopher Sais put the Rams back in front with a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth, but Maritime again responded in the bottom of the fifth.  Logan Martinson (Sumner, WA) drew a leadoff walk and John Spallin (Holmdel, NJ) followed with a two-run blast to right.

In the top of the sixth, Farmingdale's first three hitters all reached, with Christian Villacci's RBI single knotting the score at 4-4.  With runners on first and third and two out, Tyler DiRocco sent a long fly ball to left field.  Joey Goodman (Merrick, NY) made a brilliant catch against the wall, however, ending the inning and keeping the game deadlocked.  Granucci went deep to right in the bottom half of the inning before Jack Kellner (Seaford, NY) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to lock down the 5-4 victory.

Kellner (2-0) retired all six batters he faced to earn the win.  Frank Santeramo (Garden City, NY) got the start on the mound and worked into the sixth.  He gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out one and walked two.

Johnny Dougherty (3-2), who hadn't given up more than two runs in a game this season, was charged with five earned runs on six hits in 5.2 innings.  After entering the contest having allowed just two home runs all season, he surrendered three to the Privateers.  Dougherty recorded seven strikeouts and four walks in the loss.

After Kaolis Delacruz homered in the top of the first in Game 2, Maritime immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning.  Alex Bardi (Wantagh, NY) was hit by a pitch and Michael Frazzetta (Howard Beach, NY) walked before Harry Leipold (Thornwood, NJ) delivered a three-run homer to right.  Leipold doubled in his next at-bat, and he eventually scored to put the Privateers in front 4-1.

With two out and the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Villacci smacked a three-run double to right that tied the game.  The Rams then took a 5-4 lead on an infield single by Mike Kocovic.  Farmingdale threatened to increase its advantage after loading the bases with one out in the sixth, but Sean Mylan (Lynbrook, NY) got a line drive and a strikeout to end the threat.  The Rams also put a runner on third with two out in the eighth before Mylan retired Kocovic on a grounder to short.

Leipold beat out an infield single for his third hit of the game with one down in the bottom of the eighth.  After he stole second, Spallin was hit by a pitch and John Carollo (Staten Island, NY) walked to load the bases.  That brought up Randy Ventura (Syosset, NY), who sent one that was just fair down the left field line for a bases-clearing, go-ahead double.  Now holding a 7-5 edge, Mylan came back out for the ninth and set the Rams down in order to complete the sweep.

Joe Sorge (Montgomery, NY) made the start two days after throwing 50-plus pitches in relief at St. Joseph's LI on Sunday.  He lasted 3.2 innings, giving up five runs on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts.  Mylan tossed 5.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.  He scattered five singles and issued one walk while notching a career-high nine strikeouts.

Offensively, Maritime was held to just five hits.  Leipold finished a triple short of the cycle for the second time in the Privateers' last three home games.  He was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base.  Ventura's double drove in three, while Maritime's only other hit was a Bardi single in the fifth.

For Farmingdale, starting pitcher Roman Dorosh allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits over 2.2 innings.  He struck out four and walked one.  Derek Watts yielded just a hit and a walk in three innings of shutout relief before giving way to Dennis Kelly (2-1), who took the loss after surrendering three runs on two hits in 2.1 innings.  He recorded five strikeouts and walked two.

Villacci went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and three RBIs.  Jordan Lambert also had two hits for the Rams, while Delacruz scored twice.  Ryan Tam reached base three times on a single and two walks, and he crossed the plate once.

On Saturday, the Privateers conclude their home schedule against one of the other teams tied for first place—Mount St. Mary (19-14-1, 12-4 Skyline).  Maritime will honor its senior class prior to the 12 p.m. twinbill.