DALLAS, PA – On Wednesday afternoon, the Maritime College baseball team traveled to Misericordia for a matchup with the 2024 National Champions. The Privateers (11-10) battled back from a 7-2 deficit to tie the game at 7-7 before the Cougars (20-7) plated two runs in the seventh of an eventual 9-8 victory at Tambur Field.
Maritime got on the board right away, with
Owen Weber (Kings Park, NY) roping an RBI single in the top of the first.
Ralph Passantino (Mount Sinai, NY) then made it 2-0 with an RBI single in the second. However, Misericordia tied it with a two-spot in the bottom half of the inning before adding two more runs in the third.
After the Cougars increased their cushion to 7-2 with a three-run fourth, the Privateers got two runs back in the top of the fifth. The first two batters of the inning reached when
Dylan Payano (Flushing, NY) walked and
Chris Picarella (Levittown, NY) was hit by a pitch, and Weber followed with a single to left. Picarella later came around on a
Dominick Viggiano (Miller Place, NY) groundout. Maritime then knotted the score in the sixth on three bases loaded walks to Payano, Picarella and
Joey Goodman (Merrick, NY).
In the bottom of the seventh, Misericordia went back in front on RBI singles by Bryant Diaz and Shane Patten. Picarella immediately responded in the top of the eighth with a home run to left field leading off the inning. Viggiano later singled and advanced to third on an error, but he was left stranded. The Privateers were then sent down in order in the ninth, as the Cougars held on for a 9-8 win.
Five different Maritime players had two hits in the game, with Picarella finishing 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.
Randy Ventura (Syosset, NY) and
Harry Leipold (Thornwood, NY) were both 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Weber ended up 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Joe Demos (South Hempstead, NY) got the start on the mound and lasted two innings. He surrendered two runs on two hits, walked two and struck out two.
Francis Montalvo (College Point, NY) (1-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in 0.2 innings of relief.
For Misericordia, Brooks Kanwisher was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Diaz and Patten each had two hits and two RBIs, and Ben St. Pierre went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Starting pitcher Matt Stone gave up four runs on six hits in four innings. He issued four walks and recorded a pair of strikeouts. Dante DeLeonibus (1-0) earned the win after pitching a hitless seventh. Aidan Paduck, meanwhile, picked up the save after yielding one run on two hits and striking out three over two innings.
The Privateers (8-0 Skyline) resume Skyline play on Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Manhattanville (17-6, 5-1 Skyline).
