FRAMINGHAM, Mass -- The Buccaneers met the #1 seed Framingham State Rams in the elimination game of the MASCAC Semifinals on Saturday morning. Tied at 2-2 in the late innings, the Bucs rallied in the ninth scoring six runs to win the game, 8-2, and move on to the MASCAC Championship Round against Bridgewater State, a rematch of the 2022 MASCAC Baseball Championship

The Basics

Final: Buccaneers 8, Rams 2

Records: Maritime (23-19)

               Framingham (26-15)

On The Mound

Maritime: Nolan Kennedy (W, 2-2): 0.2 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 0 K

                Justin Brown: 7.1 IP | 5 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 4 BB | 5 K

Framingham: Anthony Panza (L, 4-2): 1.1 IP | 4 H | 5 R | 2 ER | 3 BB | 1 K

                      Adam Martin: 7 IP | 4 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 4 BB | 8 K

At The Plate

Maritime

• John Tropea, Brett Velzis, and Frank Aten each had two hits in the game.
• Zach Sylvia, Aidan Henderson, and AJ Pietrafesa all had one hit.
• Velzis hit a home run and a double in the game. His home run was his 100th career hit.
• Aten hit two doubles in the game and Sylvia hit one.
• Tropea and Velzis each drove in two runs. Henderson and Aten plated one run each. 
• Velzis scored tow runs in the win. Six other Buccaneers scored once.
• Perito was credited with a stolen base in the game.

Framingham

• Shane Costello had two hits in the game. Caleb Hendrix, Matthew Shaver, and Jame Gilleran each had one hit.
• Hendrix hit a home run and Costello had a double in the loss.
• Costello and Hendrix each drove in a run.
• Hendrix and Shaver each scored once.

How It Happened

Brown and Martin pitched three scoreless innings to begin the game and in the top of the fourth Velzis homered to break the scoreless tie making the score 1-0 and Aten doubled in Sylvia to give the Bucs a two-run lead after four. 

Brown went 6.2 innings without giving up a hit to the Rams and then in the bottom of the seventh the Rams got on the board when Costello doubled in Shaver to make it 2-1 Maritime.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hendrix hit his home run to tie the game at 2-2.

The Buccaneers bats came alive in the top of the ninth to break the game open. Maritime scored six in the inning to bring the score to 8-2.

In the ninth, Brenden Baiardi came in to shut down Framingham and win the game, 8-2, and move on to the Championship round of the tournament.

What's Next

The Buccaneers meet Bridgewater State in the first game of the Championship round in Framingham at 2pm on Saturday. Should the Bucs win, the teams will meet again on Sunday at 1pm in the Championship game.