THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime Baseball team battled back with five runs in the last three innings, but it was not enough as the Privateers dropped a non-conference matchup to the John Jay Bloodhounds by the score of 8-5 on Reinhart Baseball Field.
 
Maritime was led by freshman Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea), who collected three hits and drove in one runner. Senior Kevin Monahan (Seaford, N.Y./MacArthur) also collected an RBI while picking up two more hits out of the leadoff spot. Sophomore Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) collected an RBI on a fielder's choice play in the bottom of the seventh, which saw the Privateers score four of its five runs.
 
The Privateers fell behind by a 5-0 score after just two innings, as sophomore starter Anthony D'Ancona(Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) had two errors committed behind him, with one coming in each inning. After setting down, D'Ancona ended the evening scattering nine hits over six innings of work while allowing three earned runs and striking out a pair.
 
Sophomore Eric Kwiecinski (Commack, N.Y./St. Dominic) came on to pitch the final three innings for Maritime and surrendered the three runs, while striking out four batters over his three frames of work.
 
After falling behind by a 4-0 score in the first inning, Maritime came up and got the first two batters on as Monahan was hit by a pitch, and Scerra singled to right. The pair later stole bases on a double steal with two outs, followed by sophomore Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) walking to load the bases. Maritime stranded the bases loaded, as the John Jay starter got out of the inning unscathed.
 
John Jay scored one more in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead before the pitchers took over the next stretch of the contest.
 
D'Ancona stranded a pair of runners on base in the third, before retiring the side in order in the fourth and fifth. The Bloodhounds got a one-out single in the top of the sixth, but D'Ancona slammed the door to keep his side in the game.
 
Maritime's offense went dormant until the bottom of the fifth, aside from a sophomore Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) walk in the third. In the fifth, senior Bruce Tyler (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) and sophomore Joe DiLeo (Naples, Fla./St. John Neumann) led off the inning with back-to-back walks but a groundball off the bat of Monahan was ruled a double play after DiLeo was called for interference on his slide at second base.
 
In the top of the seventh, Kwiecinski came on to pitch and struck out the first and last batter of the frame, with a single and wild pitch sandwiched in between.
 
The Privateer bats came alive in the bottom of the seventh as DiLeo reached on a two-out error, then moved up to second and third on wild pitches. Monahan then reached on a dribbler down the third base line, as DiLeo scored the first Privateer run.
 
The train kept moving as Scerra swung at the first pitch and laced a single into centerfield, followed by an infield hit off the bat of Deddo to load the bases for Maritime's designated hitter. Schiavoni hit a ball to the shortstop, who was indecisive and chose to go to second base but Deddo had slid in under the tag as the second run crossed the plate.
 
Semler then reached on a dropped fly ball in the outfield as two more runs scored to make it 5-4. However, the rally was spoiled as John Jay got the last out needed to send the game to the eighth.
 
John Jay added an insurance run to move ahead by a 6-4 score in the top of the inning, but Maritime got it right back in the bottom half as DiLeo walked, stole second, and moved to third on a Monahan single. Scerra then drove DiLeo in with a base hit to left field, but again John Jay escaped without further damage.
 
The Bloodhounds tacked on two runs in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch and a base hit to pull away late with an 8-5 advantage. Maritime got one into scoring position after a Semler walk and moved up on a wild pitch, but John Jay got the final two batters to finish off the contest.
 
Maritime (10-4) will look to move past their loss on Saturday, when the team hosts the Lehman Lightning for a doubleheader on the Reinhart Baseball Field with first pitch slated for 11:00 a.m.
 
John Jay (2-12) will also play on Saturday afternoon, with a doubleheader on the road as the team will take on the Lancaster Bible Chargers at 1 p.m. in Pennsylvania.