AUBURNDALE, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2014) – The Maritime baseball team opened up the 2014 season on Thursday down in sunny Florida against Brandeis University at the RussMatt Invitational. The Privateers lost to the Judges by the score of 5-0, as they were held to six hits against Brandeis' junior ace Kyle Brenner, who went the distance and struck out 13 along the way.
Maritime, which was the designated road team in the neutral site contest, went down in order in the top of the first inning, as Brenner fanned two in the frame. In the bottom of the first, the Judges got on the board on an RBI single by junior Tom McCarthy off of Privateer ace, senior Kurt Niemeyer (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet Senior).
In the second, sophomore clean-up hitter Paul Woodburn (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown), got the Privateers' first hit of the game with a single to left, but a double-play and strikeout quickly ended any threat. Brandeis tagged on another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout by sophomore Liam O'Connor.
The Privateers best chance to get on the board came in the top of the third, when freshman Brian McLaughlin(Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) and Woodburn hit back-to-back one-out singles and advanced to second and third on a groundout. However, Woodburn was picked off by Brenner at second base to end the inning.
Niemeyer began to get into a groove in the third inning and allowed just one base runner in each of the next three innings, while striking out four in that span.
The Judges started the sixth inning with sophomore Connor Doyle reaching first on a dropped third strike. He reached second on a ground out and eventually came around to score an unearned run after a pair of wild pitches. Junior Paul Pfundstein (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) came in to replace Niemeyer and recorded the final two outs of the inning, but Brandeis was up 3-0.
Junior Matthew Sollin (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) led off the top of the seventh with a walk and sophomoreD.J. Seymour (Nassau, Bahamas/Rabun Gap) followed with a fielder's choice to reach first, but Brenner shut down the next two batters with a fly out and strikeout to squash the threat.
The Judges scored twice more in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout by Doyle to close out the scoring on the day. The Privateers went in order in both the eighth and ninth, as Brenner closed out the complete game shutout strong.
Niemeyer allowed six hits and three runs (two earned) through five and 1/3 innings and had six strikeouts, while walking just two batters. In two and 2/3 innings of relief, Pfundstein allowed three hits, two runs and struck out two.
The Privateers also got hits from junior Joe Longo (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./St. John the Baptist), sophomore Bruce Tyler (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) and senior Tom Bauer (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur).
Maritime will look to quickly rebound tomorrow morning, as they have a date on the diamond with fellow New York City school, St. Joseph's of Brooklyn. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla.