PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – The Maritime baseball team needed 15 innings on Saturday afternoon to knock off the Merchant Marine Mariners by the score of 8-7 from Gregg Alfano Field on Long Island.
 
The win for Maritime was its first postseason victory since the 2013 season, when the then fifth-seeded Privateers knocked off the third-seeded Purchase Panthers by the score of 14-8 before falling to Old Westbury later in the day.
 
Freshman Antonio Diaz (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) got the rally started for the Privateers in the bottom of the 15th inning with a brilliant bunt down the third base line, junior Zach Parilla (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) reached on a fielder's choice as Diaz was erased. Sophomore Matt Costleigh (West Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's) reached on an error before junior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) was intentionally walked. Junior Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) collected the game-winning blow with the walk-off sacrifice fly to centerfield to give Maritime the win.
 
Earlier in the game, senior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) had a clutch two-run home run as the Privateers were trailing 7-5. McLaughlin's team-leading ninth home run of the year evened the game in the bottom of the seventh and allowed the Privateers to reach and ultimately win in extra innings.
 
Semler and McLaughlin led the team with three RBIs apiece, while Deddo drove in a pair and also scored a team-high three runs on the day while also walking three times. Junior Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) picked up a pair of hits including one double, while Diaz and freshman Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) each had two hits apiece.
 
On the hill sophomore A.J. Ammirati (Queens, N.Y./Construction) got the start and allowed three earned runs over four innings as he struck out three batters. Sophomore Matthew Buckshaw (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) struck out two batters over his 2 2/3 innings.
 
Freshman Brady Dolan (York, Pa./Northeastern) came on with two outs in the top of the seventh, and tossed a season-high 82 pitches and a season-high six innings as he struck out three batters and did not factor into the pitching decision despite his strong outing. Freshman Skylar Graff (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) notched his second win of the season as he pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and did not allow a hit.
 
Ammirati went to the hill and got the first batter before allowing an infield single. Ammirati removed him with a pickoff, before allowing another single that was erased as Schiavoni threw out the first of three stolen base attempts against him.
 
In the bottom of the inning Costleigh led off with a single followed by a double off the bat of Deddo. Semler brought home one run with a groundout before McLaughlin drove in the second Privateer run with a sacrifice fly. Merchant Marine got one run back in the top of the second to trim the lead in half.
 
The Privateer offense got going again in the bottom of the second as Schiavoni sent a ringing double into left field. Two batters later Stewart was hit by a pitch to put a second runner on base, before Deddo came up and scored the pair with a double to left centerfield. Up next was Semler, who traded places with the Deddo and put Maritime ahead 5-1.
 
Merchant Marine got two runs back on three hits in the third, and cut the deficit down to one with a solo run in the top of the fourth.
 
After allowing a leadoff single, Buckshaw came on to pitch and got the next three batters out including the third out via strikeout. In the top of the sixth, Buckshaw set the side down in order including the second strikeout of his out outing.
 
Merchant Marine scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take its first lead of the game at 7-5.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning Deddo led off with a fly ball to deep left center, but after a foul out by Semler, McLaughlin crushed a home run over the left field foul pole to even the game at seven.
 
After getting the last out in the seventh, Dolan continued to roll and retired the side in order in the top of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, the Mariners got a leadoff single, but Dolan again set down the next three Merchant Marine hitters to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.
 
Both teams had scattered chances through the extra innings, with Merchant Marine getting runners just 90 feet away on three occasions in the extra frames but were unable to break the deadlock. The Privateers got a runner to third base just once in the 10th inning before the game moved to the 15th frame.
 
After Graff got out of the top of the inning with a pair of strikeouts, the third batter was retired on a fly ball to junior Connor Alwan (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck).
 
Parilla , Costleigh and Deddo loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with one down to bring up Semler. The junior designated hitter hit a long drive to deep centerfield allowing Parilla to tag and sprint home with the go-ahead run.
 
#2 Maritime (24-11, 15-3 Skyline) will take on #1 St. Joseph's (LI) tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. at Gregg Alfano Field in Patchogue.
 
#6 Merchant Marine takes on #5 Mount St. Mary on Saturday evening following the Privateer-Mariner matchup. The loser of the game will be eliminated, while the winner will take on the loser from tomorrow's Maritime-St. Joseph's (LI) matchup at approximately 2:30 p.m.