PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Maritime baseball team remained unbeaten in Skyline Conference play on Saturday afternoon as the team increased its league record to 8-0, as the Privateers swept the Purchase Panthers by the scores of 4-2 in the opener, and 7-1 in game two.
 
The Maritime pitching highlighted the day as three pitchers combined to allow just three earned runs over the 16 innings on the mound. Junior Anthony D'Ancona (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) pitched a complete game in the opener and struck out a season-high nine batters as he scattered six hits and allowed just two runs to pick up his third win of the season in the early game.
 
Freshman Matthew Paghidas (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) took to the hill in game two and went six innings and struck out six batters as he allowed one run on four hits and a walk. Sophomore Alex Poliwoda (Southold, N.Y./Southold) capped off game two with a hitless seventh inning.
 
Offensively junior Connor Alwan (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) and freshman Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) led the way with three hits apiece. Senior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist), junior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville), and sophomores Matt Costleigh (West Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) each scored two runs apiece, while senior Chris Stewart (Bethpage, N.Y./Chaminade), junior Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) and Russo each scored one run.
 
While Semler and classmate Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) led the team with two RBIs apiece, it was McLaughlin's one RBI that gave him the single-season RBI record as he broke the tie with his own sophomore season, as well as Matthew Cresswell '09, who in 2008 also had 26 RBIs. Costleigh and Alwan also had one RBI each on the day for the Privateers.
 
Game 1
Maritime posted a two-spot to open the ballgame as Costleigh doubled, before Deddo singled to put runners on the corners. Semler was up next and connected on a single to plate the first run of the game. Two batters later, Schiavoni chased home Deddo with a double to make it 2-0 in favor of the Privateers.
 
In the bottom of the first D'Ancona mowed down the Panthers in order and did so again in the second before working around a leadoff single in the third to send the game to the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth Purchase evened up the game on a single, double and triple to knot the game at two.
 
The game continued onward as D'Ancona held Purchase off the board, but Maritime's offense was unable to answer until the top of the eighth inning.
 
After a pair of groundouts, Russo got the inning started with a two-out single. Scerra followed with a walk, before junior Zach Parilla (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) hit a fly ball to centerfield that allowed Stewart to score after running for Russo. As Parilla stole second, the throw from the catcher went awry and allowed Scerra to score as Maritime regained a two-run advantage at 4-2.
 
D'Ancona got three groundouts in the bottom of the eighth, and got a lineout and two more groundouts in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory for the Privateers in the opener.
 
Game 2
In the second game Maritime went down after Deddo walked with one out and made it to third on a McLaughlin to single but were unable to connect on the big hit to drive in the first run of the game.
 
Paghidas went to the hill in the bottom of the inning and coasted through as he got the Panthers in order to begin his afternoon.
 
Russo got the rally started again in the top of the second with a base knock up the middle. Scerra walked and two batters later, Alwan sent a double off the outfield wall to put Maritime ahead 1-0. Up next was Costleigh, who picked up an RBI on a groundout to put the Privateers up by a pair.
 
After another hitless inning from Paghidas, Semler doubled to left field before McLaughlin came up, who tripled to right centerfield to register the record-setting 27th RBI of his season. Schiavoni singled up the middle to plate McLaughlin and put Maritime in the lead by a 4-0 margin.
 
After Paghidas worked around a two-out double in the third, he was not as fortunate in the fourth as a one out double and wild pitch put a runner in prime scoring position. Two batters later, the Panthers tripled to collect their first run of the game, However, Paghidas stranded the runner just 90 feet away as the Panthers settled for one run.
 
In the top of the fifth the Privateers got the run back as McLaughlin and Schiavoni reached on back-to-back walks. Scerra reached on a fielder's choice as there were runners on the corners, and later Scerra stole second McLaughlin broke for the plate and scored to give the Privateers a four-run lead again at 5-1.

Maritime added two more runs in the top of the sixth as Costleigh and Deddo singled back-to-back, but an error allowed Costleigh to score and Deddo to advance to third. Semler then sent a ball to left field which allowed Deddo to score on the sacrifice fly as the Privateers opened up some breathing room with a six-run advantage.
 
Paghidas made his way through the sixth inning, as Poliwoda struck out two batters in the seventh to cap off the sweep for the Privateers.
 
Maritime (14-7, 8-0 Skyline) will look to round out the weekend with two more conference wins as the team travels to St. Joseph's (LI) on Sunday afternoon for a 12 p.m. doubleheader in Patchogue.
 
Purchase (2-11, 2-8 Skyline) will travel to take on Old Westbury on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. from the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex.