THROGGS NECK, NY – Owen Weber (Kings Park, NY) nearly hit for the home run cycle in the Maritime College baseball team's twinbill with Manhattanville on Saturday. He tied a program record with three long balls—a solo shot, a two-run blast, and a grand slam—in Game 1, a 22-5 victory, then added another solo home run in Game 2, as the Privateers (11-10, 4-0 Skyline) earned an 8-5 win to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Valiants (12-11, 2-4 Skyline) at Reinhart Baseball Field.
After Manhattanville scored a run in the top of the first in Game 1, Weber immediately tied it with a leadoff homer to right.
David Granucci (Medford, NY) added an RBI single later in the inning to give Maritime the lead. The Privateers then put up a four-spot in the second to increase their cushion to 6-1. The Valiants pulled within 6-3 in the top of the third, but Weber's second homer of the game made it 9-3 in the bottom half of the inning.
Joey Goodman (Merrick, NY) and
Chris Picarella (Levittown, NY) belted back-to-back home runs in the fourth, then Maritime put up seven runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Alex Bardi (Wantagh, NY) scored on a wild pitch before
John Spallin (Holmdel, NJ) drew a bases loaded walk and Picarella followed with an RBI infield single. Weber was up next, and he crushed one to left center for a grand slam that made it 20-5. His spot came up again with two runners on in the sixth and Maritime leading 22-5, but, instead of going for the fourth home run, Weber was lifted for a pinch hitter.
He finished 3-for-4 with three homers, four runs scored and seven RBIs. Bardi was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI, while Picarella went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Spallin ended up 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI, and Goodman also scored three times while driving in two. Granucci, meanwhile, crossed the plate twice.
Matt Demme (Carmel, NY) (3-2) worked his way through six innings on the mound, allowing five runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking six.
Evan Block (Seaford, NY) made his season debut by pitching the seventh. He gave up one hit while retiring the other three batters he faced on strikes.
Four different Manhattanville players had two hits in the game. Mike Ambrosecchia reached base all four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI. Aidan Rosario went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Anthony Mezzaucella finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Joshua Gillison also notched a pair of hits. Starting pitcher Jake Warnock (1-3) lasted 2.2 innings. He yielded nine runs on eight hits, struck out three and walked four. As a team, the Valiants issued 14 walks.
In Game 2, Weber led off the bottom of the first with a double before scoring on Bardi's shot to right center. After Manhattanville got one in the top of the second, the Privateers pulled in front with three runs in the fourth. Mezzaucella tied it with an RBI double that was just fair past third base, then Justin Encarnacion knocked in two with a single.
With two out and the bases empty in the bottom of the fifth, Weber went deep to right for his fourth home run of the day. Maritime then regained the lead in the sixth.
Michael Frazzetta (Howard Beach, NY) and
Logan Martinson (Sumner, WA) started the inning with singles before
Harry Leipold's (Thornwood, NJ) base hit was misplayed in center field. Frazzetta scored on the single, while Martinson came around on the error.
The Valiants tied the score in the top of the seventh, but the Privateers immediately responded with two in their half of the inning. After Picarella's popup fell for a hit, Weber was hit by a pitch and Bardi reached on an error. A run came in when Frazzetta was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, then Leipold picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded walk. Maritime added an insurance tally on Picarella's RBI single in the eighth before
Jared Kay (Lewes, DE) worked around a walk and a single in the top of the ninth to finish off the 8-5 victory and move the Privateers above .500 for the first time this season. Maritime is 11-4 in its last 15 games after starting the season 0-6.
Picarella had three of the Privateers' 13 hits in the contest. Weber was 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. Frazzetta finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI, while Leipold went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Martinson was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Bardi notched two RBIs on his home run.
Starting pitcher
Andrew Heiderstadt (Farmingdale, NY) threw six innings and took a no decision. He gave up four runs on six hits, struck out seven and walked three.
Joe Sorge (Montgomery, NY) (3-3) was credited with the win after surrendering one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk. Kay allowed a hit and a walk while also recording a strikeout during a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
Manhattanville starter Ryan Osso also lasted six innings. He was charged with five runs (four earned) on 10 hits while striking out two and walking one. Gregory Esposito (2-2) took the loss after yielding two unearned runs on a hit and a walk over 0.2 innings.
Offensively, Ambrosecchia led the Valiants with two hits, including a double. Chris Goohs finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Encarnacion, meanwhile, contributed two RBIs.
On Sunday, Maritime heads to Purchase (8-13, 5-1 Skyline) for another Skyline doubleheader. Because of the weather forecast in the morning, Game 1 of the twinbill has been pushed back to a 1:30 p.m. start.
