FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Maritime baseball team opened up the first of their seven-game Florida trip on Wednesday afternoon with a loss to the Misericordia Cougars by the score of 5-2 at the Bob Gladwin Complex in central Florida.
 
Junior Tyler Stuart (Palm Coast, Fla./Matanzas) got the start and yielded just one run over five innings of work as the left-hander threw 78 pitches on the game while striking out four batters.
 
Offensively senior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) and freshman Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) each had RBI base hits in the Privateer two-run sixth inning. Junior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) led the team with two hits, and scored a run, while sophomore Matt Costleigh (West Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's) also scored a run on the afternoon.
 
Maritime was up first and got a one-out single from Deddo, who was erased on a double play. Stuart struck out the first batter in the bottom of the inning, and hung up two consecutive zeros in 1-2-3 innings in the first and second before stranding a pair of runners in the bottom of the third.
 
Deddo got the offense jump-started in the top of the fourth with a one-out double followed by a walk from junior Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington). McLaughlin flied out to right as Deddo moved up to third, before junior Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) was plunked by a pitch to load the bases. The Privateers were unable to scratch across a run as Misericordia got out of the frame on a comebacker to the mound.
 
As the game progressed, Stuart continued to keep the Cougars at bay as the game moved ahead into the sixth inning.
 
Costleigh doubled to left field followed by a Deddo walk. Semler swung at the first pitch and singled to load the bases. McLaughlin then drove into a sinking liner into right field to plate the first run of the game. After a line drive double play erased a pair, Russo drove a ball into left field to give Maritime a second run.
 
Stuart allowed a leadoff double before being lifted for freshman Luciano Besh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Franklin Regional). Two runs scored in the inning as an earned run was charged to both Stuart and Besh.
 
Maritime was unable to get the offense restarted in the seventh, but Misericordia was able to tack on two more runs in the seventh, which were charged to sophomore Alex Poliwoda (Southold, N.Y./Southold). Freshman Brady Dolan (York, Pa./Northeastern) fared well in his collegiate debut as he did not allow a hit or earned run over the final two innings of work.
 
Maritime (2-1) will look to rebound on Thursday afternoon, when the team takes on Monmouth (Ill.) at 1 p.m. from the Bob Gladwin Complex.
 
Misericordia (4-3) will square off with LaRoche for the second time in Florida, with first pitch slated for 9:30 a.m. in Fort Pierce, Florida.