FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The Maritime baseball team played its final two games in the state of Florida on Saturday, falling in the opener to Misericordia by a 9-4 score before dropping a 13-4 decision to the Hilbert Hawks.
 
Highlighting the afternoon for the Privateers was senior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist), who collected the 100th hit of his collegiate career on a double in the fifth inning during the contest against Misericordia. McLaughlin also led the Privateers on the day with three RBIs.
 
Junior Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) also picked up one RBI, while collecting a pair of hits. Sophomore Matt Costleigh (West Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's) registered two hits and scored a run, while junior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) had one hit and scored a run and classmate Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) had one hit and scored a pair of runs.
 
On the mound sophomore Matthew Buckshaw (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) made his first start in a Privateer uniform and after a bumpy first inning settled into a groove and got through four innings with five strikeouts. Junior Brian Hughes (Maspeth, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) needed 55 pitches to get through 3 1/3 innings as he did not allow an earned run and struck out one batter.
 
In game two, freshman Brady Dolan (York, Pa./Northeastern) made his first Maritime start and went 4 1/3 innings as he struck out three Hawks on 81 pitches. Sophomore Alex Poliwoda (Southold, N.Y./Southold) and junior Anthony D'Ancona (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) closed out the game as the pair combined for the final 3 2/3 innings.
 
Game 1
Looking to rebound from their loss earlier in the week to Misericordia, the Privateers sent Buckshaw to the hill to open up action on the day. The first four Cougars reached and eventually scored before the right-hander settled down to retire the final three batters.
 
Costleigh got the offense going in the bottom of the first with a leadoff single and made to third base before McLaughlin was plunked on the back to put runners on the corners with two outs. However, the Privateers were unable to get the key hit needed to pick up their first run.
 
Misericordia tacked on a run in the fourth inning, before Maritime finally got their offense started as Schiavoni opened the bottom of the inning with a single. Sophomore Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) singled and moved up on an error by the rightfielder. Freshman Tommy Buckman (McLean, Va./McLean) got Schiavoni home with an RBI groundout to make the score 5-1.
 
In the bottom of the fifth Deddo started things off with a one out single, Semler reached on an error before the pair moved up on a wild pitch to bring up McLaughlin. After a questionable call kept McLaughlin at the plate despite being hit on the hand by a pitch, the senior first baseman made the opposition pay with a booming double down the left field line to drive home two.
 
With his 100th career hit, McLaughlin becomes the sixth player in modern program history to reach triple figures in hits.
 
Sophomore Sean McQuail (Middle Village, N.Y./Cathedral Prep) took over in the top of the fifth and set down the side in order but ran into trouble in the sixth before Hughes came on to retire the last two batters in the sixth. Hughes continued to throw well as he allowed just one hit in the seventh, to send the game to the bottom of the inning with Maritime trailing by four.
 
Semler reached on another Cougar fielding misplay and moved ahead on a wild pitch. McLaughlin picked up another double and drove in his third run of the game to make the score 7-4.
 
The Privateers threatened again in the bottom of the eighth as freshman Matt Lobello (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) walked before junior Connor Alwan (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) singled. Misericordia was able to escape the inning as the team retired the last three batters of the inning. The Cougars closed out the game scoring a pair in the top of the ninth to seal the five-run win by a 9-4 score.
 
Game 2
Maritime was the road team in the second contest against Hilbert and were at bat to open the contest. Costleigh reached as he was hit by a pitch and eventually got to third base with two outs, but the Privateers again lacked the key hit needed to break through.
 
Dolan got the start and allowed three hits and two runs in the bottom of the inning as the Privateers fell behind 2-0. Hilbert plated the next four runs of the game in the bottom of the second inning to open a six-run advantage.
 
Senior Joe DiLeo (Naples, Fla./St. John Neumann) opened the inning as he muscled a ball into centerfield, followed by a base knock off the bat of senior Chris Stewart (Bethpage, N.Y./Chaminade). Costleigh singled to right field, and the baserunners took advantage of a misplay in the outfield as Maritime pushed across its first run of the game. A second run scored on a dropped popup, before Schiavoni added the third Maritime run with a sacrifice fly.
 
Neither side scored as Dolan cruised through the third and fourth innings, but in the bottom of the fifth Hilbert added a seventh run on a double and one-out single. The seventh inning saw Hilbert add three more runs to their total to take a 10-3 lead. Three more runs scored in the bottom of the eighth as Hilbert took a 10-run advantage.
 
Maritime closed out the game with one more run in the bottom of the ninth as Lobello reached as he was hit by a pitch. DiLeo walked on a 3-0 pitch, before Stewart hit a ball that was booted and allowed the fourth and final Privateer run to score.
 
Maritime (4-5) will return to New York and will look to get back to .500 on the season when the team takes on John Jay on March 15 at 7 p.m. from the Reinhart Baseball Field. Check back to MaritimeAthletics.com for up to date schedule information as there is a snowstorm scheduled to impact the tri-state area.
 
Misericordia (6-4) will head back north as well and visits Wesley for a 3:30 p.m. start on Tuesday afternoon in Delaware.
 
Hilbert (4-5) will also return to New York and is scheduled to visit Wells for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 25 beginning at 1 p.m.