BUZZARDS BAY, MA -- The Buccaneers and Fitchburg State met on Thursday for the first of three conference games this week. The Bucs took game one at Hendy Field by a score of 8-1.

The Basics

Final: Buccaneers 8, Falcons 1

Records: Maritime (12-11, 5-2)

              Fitchburg (6-20, 2-5)

On The Mound

Maritime: Justin Brown (W, 3-1): 7 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 6 K

               Brady Parks: 2 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 2 BB | 1 K

Fitchburg: Orion Daily (L, 0-2): 5.2 IP | 6 H | 7 R | 7 ER | 6 BB | 5 K

At The Plate

Maritime

• Aidan Henderson and Zach Sylvia led the way for the Bucs with two hits apiece.
• Alex Schlapak, Zach Sylvia, AJ Pietrafesa, Brett Velzis, Frank Aten, and A.J. Luciano  each had a hit.
• Aten drove in four runs on the day on a bases-clearing double to score three and a sacrifice fly.
• Henderson drove in two runs
• Pietrafesa, Velzis and John Tropea all scored twice.
• Schlapak and Tropea each drew three walks in the win.

Fitchburg

• Lead off man Brendan Ferrell led the Falcons with two hits in the game. 
• Vincent Eramo, Zachary Malek and Silas Thomas all had a hit.
• Ferrell drove in the lone run.
• Zachary Morris scored the run.
• Eramo hits a double for his only hit.

How It Happened

The Bucs scored two in the bottom of the first on a Henderson single to left that scored Pietrafesa and Schlapak.

Maritime added to their lead in the bottom of the second on a double steal with Luciano scoring from third. Schlapak was put out after the run scored between first and second to end the inning.

Fitchburg scored their only run of the game in the third on a Ferell single to right, scoring Morris. In the bottom of the third, the Bucs got that run back and then some on an Aten double to left center with the bases loaded. The bases emptied and the Buccaneers took a 6-1 lead into the fourth.

The Middle innings were quiet with neither team scoring in the fourth or fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, Sylvia walked with the bases loaded to bring in the team's seventh run.

The hosts added insurance in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Aten to center, scoring Velzis from third.

The Bucs went on to win the game, 8-1, over the Falcons heading into the doubleheader on Friday.

What's Next

The Bucs travel to Fitchburg to take on the Falcons in a conference doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2pm.