BUZZARDS BAY, MA -- Coming off of their weekend conference sweep of Fitchburg State, Buccaneer baseball hosted Bridgewater State on Monday in game one of a three game season series with the Bears. Coming into the game, Bridgewater was atop the conference at 8-1 with the Buccaneers hot on their heels at 7-2. A back and forth game between the top two teams in the conference came down to the last swing of the game as the Bucs pulled off the comeback, walk-off win, 4-3 over the Bears to move into a virtual tie for first place in the MASCAC. The Bucs and Bears will finish out their three-game series next Tuesday at Bridgewater State.

The Basics

Final: Buccaneers 4, Bears 3

Records: Maritime (15-11, 8-2)

              Bridgewater (17-9, 8-2)

On The Mound

Maritime: Sam Huffman: 5 IP | 6 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 4 K

                Brendan Baiardi (W, 1-0): 2 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 1 K

Bridgewater: Shane Handrahan: 6 IP | 6 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 2 BB | 9 K

                     Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (L, 0-1): 2 IP | 4 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 2 BB | 1 K

At The Plate

Maritime

• Maritime racked up 10 hits in the game. Three, and the most important, from Zach Sylvia, two from Alex Schlapak and AJ Pietrafesa.
• Pietrafesa had a double. The only extra-base hit for the Bucs.
• Sylvia drove in three runs with Pietrafesa driving in the other.
• A.J. Luciano scored twice. Chris Perito and Schlapak came across the plate once.
• Aidan Henderson, John Tropea, Michael Doyle and Michael Estrada each reached by way of a walk. 

Bridgewater

• The Bears also compiled 10 hits, two from Jay Wladkowski and Dan Saraceno. Six other players recorded hits.
• Scott Emerson, Kevin Lindsay, and Wladkowski each drove in a run.
• Wladkowski, Shane Foley and Lindsay all scored.
• Joe Freshette drew the only walk of the game.
• Wladkoski had a double and a home run in the game. Emerson also added a double.

How It Happened

It was a pitcher's duel through 2.5 innings in the Patriot's Day conference game between the Bucs and Bears. It took until the third inning for either team to bring a run across the plate. The Bucs struck first in the bottom of the third on a Sylvia single to center to score Luciano and a Pietrafesa double to right that scored Schlapak.

The Buccaneers held their 2-0 lead into the fifth when Wladkoski homered to left to cut the lead in half. Bridgewater struck again in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs to take a 3-2 lead. Lindsay singled up the middle to score Foley and was later driven in by Emerson on a double to give the Bears the lead.

Maritime trailed for the next two plus innings until, in the bottom of the ninth, the Bucs loaded the bases with no outs in the inning. Sylvia, who had been having a good day already, ripped a single up the middle. With a lot of speed on the bags, Perito and Luciano came in to score to take a 4-3 lead and give the Buccaneers the walk-off win over the Bears.

What's Next

Maritime takes on Wentworth in non-conference action on Tuesday at 4pm at Hendy Field. The team will be wearing special shoe laces in partnership with the Go 4 Goal Foundation to raise awareness and help in the battle against pediatric cancers.