FORT PIERCE, Fla. – On Saturday the Maritime baseball team closed out their trip to the state of Florida with a pair of losses to the Scranton Royals. The Privateers dropped game one by a 5-2 margin, before falling in a rain-shortened five-inning game two by the score of 5-0.
 
On the day sophomore Antonio Diaz (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) and freshman Travis Zurita (Ozone Park, N.Y./Poly Prep) each had RBIs, as the pair along with sophomore Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) and freshman Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, N.Y./Chaminade) had singles. The Privateers also got a double off the bat of both senior Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) and Connor Alwan(Annapolis, Md./Broadneck). Diaz and Schiavoni were each credited with a run scored on the day.
 
Sophomore Travis Bruinsma (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) went to the hill in the opener and suffered his first loss of the season despite striking out five batters over his five-inning outing. Sophomore Brady Dolan (York, Pa./Northeastern) got the nod in game two and struck out four batters over 3 1/3 innings on the hill. Junior Alex Poliwoda (Southold, N.Y./Southold) and sophomore Matthew Paghidas (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) combined to throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Game 1 Recap
Bruinsma went to the hill to start the bottom of the first inning for the Privateers and struck out his first batter of the afternoon before retiring the side in order.
 
Maritime came up in the top of the second, where Schiavoni opened up the offense with a one-out double. Two batters later Diaz singled to plate Schiavoni before coming in to score on Zurita's RBI base knock to left field.
 
Given the 2-0 lead, Bruinsma allowed one run back in the bottom of the second inning but limited the damage with a strikeout to strand a runner in scoring position.
 
The Privateers loaded the bases in the top of the third but were unable to add insurance runs, leaving the door open for the Royals. Scranton scratched across an unearned run in the bottom of the third to tie the game before adding another solo run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 advantage.
 
Scranton scored a pair of runs with three consecutive one-out hits to take a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Privateers were unable to do much offensively down the stretch of the game aside from an Alwan double in the sixth and a Sullivan single in the seventh as the Royals hung on for the victory.
 
In the game Bruinsma scattered six hits over five innings of work, while striking out five batters in his third outing of the season. Poliwoda pitched a perfect bottom of the sixth for the Privateers.
 
Game 2 Recap
In game two Maritime fell behind early as the Royals plated four unearned runs on Dolan to put Scranton up by a 4-0 score.
 
Senior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) reached second on a two-base error in the bottom of the first, while Zurita singled in the bottom of the third and was caught stealing. Scranton added a fifth and final run in the top of the fourth to open up a five-run cushion.
 
The Privateers were held hitless through the final two innings before the game was called by the umpiring crew after five innings due to the steady rain in central Florida.
 
Maritime (5-4) wraps up its Florida trip with a 2-3 record, and will return to New York on Sunday. The team gets back on the field in New Jersey on Friday, when the Privateers open Skyline Conference play against Yeshiva at 9:30 a.m.
 
Scranton (2-1) just began its Florida trip against the Privateers and will take on Hood on Sunday from the Bob Gladwin Complex. The Royals will also take on Messiah, Kenyon, Earlham and Gettysburg while in Florida through Thursday, March 15.