SALEM, Mass -- The Buccaneers traveled to Salem State to play the Vikings in the opening game of a three-game conference series. The Buccaneers came away with a big 12-4 victory over Salem to improve to 8-8 in MASCAC Play.

The Basics

Final: Buccaneers 12, Vikings 4

Records: Maritime (18-15, 8-8)

               Salem (7-25, 4-12)

On The Mound

Maritime: Justin Brown (W, 4-1): 7 IP | 5 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 1 BB | 2 K

Salem: Bobby Jellison (L, 1-4): 5 IP | 6 H | 3 R | 3 ER | 0 BB | 1 K

At The Plate

Maritime

• Brett Velzis went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
• Frank Aten had two hits in the game, a three-run home run and a double. He drove in four runs and scored a run.
• Zach Sylvia, Aidan Henderson, and Michael Estrada each had two hits.
• AJ Pietrafesa, John Tropea, and Chris Perito all had one hit.
• Tropea, Estrada and Perito all hit triples in the game.
• Sylvia, Pietrafesa, Henderson, Estrada, and Perito all drove in one run.
• Henderson, Estrada, and Perito all scored twice.
• Sylvia, Tropea, Conor Coulter, and Aidan Weir each scored once.
• Tropea and Estrada each recorded a stolen base.

Salem

• Jake Boucher and Owen Duggan each had two hits.
• TJ Beninati, Brahiam Ortega, Chris Simone, and Aidan Lynch all had one hit.
• Boucher hit a home run, Simone hit a triple, and Ortega hit a double.
• Boucher drove in three runs, Ortega drove in one.
• Boucher scored twice, Duggan and Lynch scored once.
• Duggan stole a base in the loss.

How It Happened

The Buccaneers scored first in the top of the first on a Velzis single to score Sylvia taking a 1-0 lead. 

After a scoreless second, third and fourth the Bucs scored again in the top of the fifth when Perito triples to bring in Estrada followed by a Sylvia sacrifice fly to bring in Perito from third to give the Buccaneers a 3-0 lead.

Salem broke the shutout in the bottom of the sixth on Boucher's two-run home run to bring the game within one run, 3-2, after six innings. 

Maritime opened the game up in the final two innings starting with four runs in the eighth. Henderson singled to score Tropea and Aten hit a three-run home run to score himself, Coulter, and Henderson to put the Bucs up 7-2. In the bottom of the eighth, Ortega doubled to center to drive in one run to get the Vikings back within four, 7-3, after eight innings. 

In the top of the ninth, the Bucs scored five to seal the deal. Aten drove in his fourth run of the game on a sacrifice fly bringing in Velzis. Estrada singled to right bringing in Henderson. Weir scored one a wild pitch to put the Bucs at double digits with a 10-3 advantage. Pietrafesa reached on an error by the Vikings that Estrada scored on and Velzis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Perito. The Bucs led 12-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. In Salem's frame they scored one run on a Boucher single to score Duggan. It wouldn't be enough for the Vikings as the Bucs won the game 12-4.

What's Next

The Buccaneers will host Salem State on Monday in a conference doubleheader to close out their conference series with first pitch scheduled for 4pm.