THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College baseball team and St. Joseph's LI entered Sunday's doubleheader in a virtual tie for first place in the Skyline Conference.  And, after splitting the twinbill, that's exactly how they stayed.  The Privateers (17-14, 12-4 Skyline) took the opener by a 13-2 count before the Golden Eagles (18-17, 14-4 Skyline) notched a 15-0 victory in Game 2 at Reinhart Baseball Field.

Maritime immediately struck for a run in the bottom of the first in Game 1.  Dylan Payano (Flushing, NY) reached on an infield single and stole second, then Alex Bardi (Wantagh, NY) capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a double down the right field line that brought Payano home.  Payano and Bardi also played a role in the Privateers' two-run third.  Randy Ventura (Syosset, NY) doubled and Payano followed with a single before Bardi drove in a run with a groundout.  Owen Weber (Kings Park, NY) then ripped an RBI double down the left field line that made it 3-0.

In the fourth, Maritime put up six more runs.  After an RBI single by Ventura, Payano knocked in a pair with a deep single to center.  Weber capped the rally with a three-run homer to left.  St. Joseph's LI pulled within 9-2 on Connor Bunce's home run in the top of the fifth, but the Privateers immediately got those runs back on a Guytano Kiesel (Bayport, NY) double and a Payano sacrifice fly.  Harry Leipold (Thornwood, NY) crushed a two-run homer in the sixth, increasing the Privateers' advantage to 13-2.

Starting pitcher Joe Sorge (Montgomery, NY) came back out for the seventh and retired the Golden Eagles in order.  He threw 104 pitches in his first career complete game.  Sorge (4-1) allowed two runs on seven hits, struck out five and walked one.

Offensively, Maritime tallied 13 hits, and all nine Privateers scored at least one run.  Payano finished 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, three runs scored, three RBIs and two stolen bases.  Weber, meanwhile, was 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and four RBIs.  Ventura and Joey Goodman (Merrick, NY) each crossed the plate twice, while Bardi and Leipold both had two RBIs.

Paul McNally and Joe Hackal led St. Joseph's LI with two hits apiece.  Bunce drove in a pair on his home run.  John Moeller (2-3) got the start on the mound and went 3.2 innings.  He yielded eight runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

After the Golden Eagles scored in the top of the first in Game 2, Ventura led off the bottom half of the inning with a single to left.  That would prove to be Maritime's only hit off Ryan Callaghan.  The Privateers had just two other baserunners before loading the bases on an error and two walks in the seventh.  However, Callaghan (4-1) induced a ground ball to finish off the shutout.  He struck out six and walked three in the win.

St. Joseph's LI broke the game open with a nine-run third inning.  Joe Thatcher began the rally with a three-run homer to center, while Bunce's grand slam to left put the Golden Eagles in front 10-0.  Andrew Amarando added a solo homer down the left field line leading off the fourth before St. Joseph's LI scored four in the seventh.  The 15-0 result marked the first time this season that Maritime was shut out.

Amarando finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.  Bunce, meanwhile, was 1-for-3 with four runs scored and four RBIs on the grand slam.  Thatcher also drove in four runs, and Hackal went 1-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs.  McNally had three hits, while Alex Johnston scored twice.  Every Golden Eagles starter crossed the plate at least once in Game 2.

Sean Mylan (Lynbrook, NY) (3-4) started on the mound for the Privateers and took the loss.  He gave up six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks over two-plus innings.  Frank Santeramo (Garden City, NY) struck out six in three innings of relief.  Francis Montalvo (College Point, NY) and Colin Horowitz (Farmingdale, NY) also pitched out of the bullpen for Maritime.

There are two doubleheaders remaining on the Privateers' regular season schedule.  Maritime visits Yeshiva (2-22, 1-13 Skyline) for a twinbill at 10 a.m. on Friday.