MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME BASEBALL

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Bob Gladwin Complex, Fort Pierce, Fla.

GAME #1 FINAL:           SUNY-MARITIME 5, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 2

GAME #2 FINAL:           MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 2, SUNY-MARITIME 1

FORT PIERCE, Fla. --  Junior Alex Rozak (Plymouth, Mass.) scattered four hits and struck out a career-high six over six innings of work to lift Massachusetts Maritime to a 2-1 nightcap victory over SUNY-Maritime and a split of a season-opening non-league college baseball doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Bob Gladwin Complex.  The Privateers received two hits and an RBI each from junior Kevin Monahan (Seaford, N.Y.) and freshman Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y.) to take a 5-2 decision in the opener.

The Buccaneers (1-1) took a 1-0 lead in their first at-bat of the nightcap when senior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) doubled to left center and scored on a one-out groundout by sophomore Aidan Desrosiers (North Attleboro, Mass.), but SUNY-Maritime (1-1) evened matters in the top of the second when freshman Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y.) doubled and scored on a two-out throwing error.  Massachusetts Maritime plated what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the frame when sophomore Jake Petruzzelli (Abington, Mass.) reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error, and Rozak took care of the rest over the next four innings, as he walked one and threw 56 of his 90 pitches for strikes during his outing.  Senior Zac Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) worked around a two-out walk in the top of the seventh, as he stranded the tying run at third and struck out two to pick up the save for the Buccaneers, who presented retiring Head Coach Bob Corradi with his 563^rd career victory in 43 seasons at the helm.

Rosano and fellow senior Greg Downs (Marshfield, Mass.) combined for all four of Massachusetts Maritime’s hits in the nightcap, while Schiavoni rapped out four of SUNY-Maritime’s four safeties in the contest.  Freshman Anthony D’Ancona (Bronx, N.Y.) went the distance on the mound in suffering the setback for the Privateers, as he allowed an earned run and struck out three while throwing 43 of his 67 pitches for strikes.

Massachusetts Maritime grabbed a 1-0 lead in top of the first in the opener, as Rosano drew a lead-off walk and scored on a two-out single down the left field line by junior Kevin Kwedor (Marshfield, Mass.), but SUNY-Maritime took a 2-1 cushion in the bottom of the inning on a failed pick-off attempt that plated a pair of unearned tallies.  Deddo’s RBI double in the second inning gave the Privateers’ a 3-1 advantage, and a run-scoring single by Monahan in the fifth extended that margin to 4-1.  The Buccaneers closed back to within two in the sixth on a pinch-hit RBI single by sophomore Jonah Olsen (Falmouth, Mass.), but SUNY-Maritime answered with an insurance run in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error that accounted for the final score.

Senior Ryan Alsdorf (Bethel, N.Y.) allowed two hits and fanned three over the first five innings of work to earn the win on the mound for the Privateers, who presented Head Coach Charlie Barbieri with his first career victory.  Senior James Very (Pittsburgh, Pa.) came on to record the final three outs (fanning one) to earn the save for SUNY-Maritime, which rapped out five hits in the lid-lifter.  Kwedor collected two of Massachusetts Maritime’s four hits in the opener, as junior Kyle Kennedy (Woodbury, Conn.) allowed an earned run and struck out a pair over the first four innings in suffering the setback on the mound for the Buccaneers.

Both teams will square off with Lebanon Valley in their next contests at Bob Gladwin Complex, as Massachusetts Maritime takes on the Dutchmen on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in Fort Pierce after SUNY-Maritime clashes with Lebanon Valley on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.