LITTLE FALLS, NJ – The Maritime College baseball team was originally supposed to open its 2026 season at Montclair State on Feb. 25, but that contest was postponed due to the winter storm.  The Privateers and Red Hawks finally squared off on Tuesday, and Maritime jumped out to a 4-1 lead.  No. 29 Montclair State (15-4) tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, though, then scored in the 11^th to notch a 5-4 win over the Privateers (5-9) at Yogi Berra Stadium.

In the top of the first, Maritime jumped in front with a pair of unearned tallies.  The Red Hawks cut the margin in half on Billy Tigar's RBI single in the bottom of the third, but the Privateers countered with two in the top of the seventh.  With the bases loaded and one out, Owen Weber (Kings Park, NY) lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.  The next batter, Chris Picarella (Levittown, NY) reached on an error, allowing another run to score and putting Maritime in front 4-1.

After Montclair State scored twice in its half of the seventh to pull within 4-3, the Red Hawks put the tying run on base when Luke Egenhauser walked leading off the bottom of the ninth.  He took second on a wild pitch, then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before coming home on a Zach Stearns single.  Pinch runner Jake Lobue reached third on a wild pitch with two out, but Luke Martinez (Mineola, NY) induced a foul ball to leave him stranded and send the contest into extra innings.

It remained a 4-4 game until the bottom of the 11^th, when Egenhauser drew another leadoff walk.  After a bunt single and a sacrifice moved the winning run to third, the Privateers intentionally walked Billy Tigar to load the bases and set up the force.  Pinch hitter Dylan Briggs was up next, and he lifted a fly ball to left that was deep enough to knock in Egenhauser and give Montclair State a 5-4 victory.

Offensively, Maritime had just three singles in the contest.  Weber and Picarella each went 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Dylan Payano (Flushing, NY) scored twice.  Joe Demos (South Hempstead, NY) started on the mound for the Privateers and threw four innings.  He yielded one run on two hits, struck out three and walked three.  Martinez (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on one hit with two walks over 1.2 innings.

For Montclair State, Tigar was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Jared Levis finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.  Egenhauser, meanwhile, crossed the plate three times.  Starting pitcher Christian Addotta was charged with two unearned runs on one hit while striking out two and walking one in 0.2 innings.  After Brendan Roche and Chuck Ennis combined to surrender just two runs (one earned) and one hit in 8.1 innings of relief, Patrick Teehan (1-1) pitched the final two innings and earned the win.  He gave up just one hit and tallied five strikeouts without issuing a walk.

Maritime (2-0 Skyline) returns home for a pair of conference doubleheaders this weekend.  The Privateers welcome St. Joseph's Brooklyn (1-8, 0-2 Skyline) to Reinhart Baseball Field at 12 p.m. on Saturday.