THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime baseball team returned home to Reinhart Field for the first time this season, and fell to the visiting City College of NY Beavers by the score of 3-2 on Wednesday night.
 
Freshman right-hander Eric Kwiecinski (Commack, N.Y./St. Dominic)got the start and pitched effectively as he struck out 10 batters over five innings of work and allowed just one run on two hits and four walks.
 
Offensively the team was led by senior Joe Longo (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) with two hits on the night, while juniors Paul Woodburn (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) and Bruce Tyler (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) picked up RBIs in the team's two-run bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game.
 
Kwiecinski got in and out of trouble in the top of the first inning, but was able to strike out the last two batters of the frame to strand the bases full. He then struck out the next two batters in the top of the second, and was able to retire the Beavers without allowing a run through the fourth inning.
 
After striking out the first batter he faced in the fifth inning, Kwiecinski walked the second batter, who then stole second base. Two batters later CCNY was able to connect on a base knock through the left side of the infield to take the 1-0 lead.
 
Meanwhile at the plate, Maritime was able to get a one out base runner on in the first inning but was unable to bring Longo home. Freshman Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) got hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the third, but the Privateers were not able to string together any hits to bring him around.
 
The Privateers had a prime chance to score first in the bottom of the fourth inning as junior Kevin Monahan (Seaford, N.Y./MacArthur) reached on a two out single and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Woodburn then walked, and both he and Monahan moved up a base on another wild pitch. However, the team was again unable to collect the knock needed to get onto the scoreboard.
 
Sophomore Ryan Heizman (Commack, N.Y./Commack) came on in the top of the sixth and allowed the first two batters to reach but was able to get two outs on one play with some strong defense behind him before striking out the last batter to strand a runner at third.
 
The Privateers got the tying run to third in the bottom of the sixth as Monahan was hit by a pitch, and then stole second and third. City College tacked on a run in the top of the seventh inning to take a 2-0 lead heading to the bottom of the frame.
 
In the top of the eighth, Heizman got some more help from his defense after walking the leadoff batter on four pitches. Longo flipped to Deddo, and then on to Tyler at first for the 6-4-3 double play.
 
Down by two, the Privateers came up in the bottom of the eighth and Longo was able to single on a dribbler to short, as did sophomore Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) to put the first two on. Senior Matthew Sollin (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) followed with a walk, and two batters later Woodburn walked to plate the first Privateer run. Up next was Tyler, who tied the game on a groundout as pinch runner Connor Alwan (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) scored the tying run.
 
In the top of the ninth, freshman Brian Hughes (Maspeth, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) came on to pitch and allowed a leadoff double, followed by the runner stealing third. The next batter pushed a bunt down the first base line allowing the go-ahead run to cross the plate to give CCNY the 3-2 lead.
 
The Privateers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth as the Beavers escaped with the one-run victory.
 
Taking the loss was Hughes (0-1) as he allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. He pitched just one inning and allowed the one run on two hits, while striking out one. Kwiecinski struck out 10 over his five innings of work in which he allowed one run on two hits and four walks. Heizman tossed three frames and allowed one run on three hits and three walks, while striking out a pair.
 
Maritime (2-6, 0-0 Skyline) will resume play again on Saturday as the team is slated to host Vaughn at 12 p.m. on Reinhart Field.
 
City College of NY (1-1, 0-0 CUNYAC) will be on the road on Saturday as the team takes on Purchase for a doubleheader in Westchester beginning at 11 a.m.