YAPHANK, N.Y. – On Saturday the Maritime baseball team picked up their first sweep of the season as the Privateers upended the Southern Vermont Mountaineers by the score of 8-2 and 10-0.
 
In game one Maritime was led on the hill by senior Anthony D'Ancona (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman), who picked up his second win of the year and 13th of his career as he sets a new program record for pitching victories. In game two Maritime sent sophomore Travis Bruinsma (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) to the hill, who also recorded his first win of the year throwing four scoreless innings in the process.
 
In relief on the day sophomore Skylar Graff (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) picked up his first save of the year to pull him into a four-way tie for the program record in saves. Junior Matthew Buckshaw (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) threw two scores innings, and sophomore Matthew Paghidas (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) had a hitless inning as they combined with Bruinsma for the shutout in the second game.
 
Senior Matt Costleigh (West Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and sophomore Phil Russo (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) led the team with four hits apiece on the afternoon in both games. Russo also scored a team-high four runs on the day while driving in three. Also driving in three runs apiece on the afternoon were senior Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington), sophomore Antonio Diaz (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) and freshman Travis Zurita (Ozone Park, N.Y./Poly Prep).
 
Senior Aaron Schiavoni (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) had a pair of RBIs on the day while scoring two runs, while Costleigh and senior Connor Alwan (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) all drove in one run apiece. The Privateers combined for nine stolen bases on the day with Alwan swiping three bags with Costleigh and Diaz each nabbing a paid. Schiavoni and freshman Shane Sullivan (Stewart Manor, N.Y./Chaminade) also had steals.
 
Game 1 Recap
In the opener D'Ancona worked in and out of trouble as he yielded just one run while leaving the bases stranded with a big strikeout. The Privateers got two of their first three batters on base in the bottom of the inning but were unable to even the score.
 
After D'Ancona retired the side in the second Diaz reached on a one-out walk and came in on a double off the bat of Alwan. Two batters later Costleigh singled through the left side to chase Alwan home and give Maritime a 2-1 advantage. The Privateers tacked on a run as Diaz brought Schiavoni home with a knock in the bottom of the third.
 
D'Ancona continued to cruise and set down the Mountaineers in the fourth and fifth innings to bring Maritime up in the bottom of the fifth. Russo led off the frame with a single followed by a double down the line off the bat of Semler to increase Maritime's lead to three.
 
Graff came on to start the sixth inning and allowed a run as Southern Vermont trimmed the lead down to 4-2.
 
Maritime's offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth as Sullivan singled then stole second. Costleigh reached followed by senior Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) walking to load the bases. Russo singled to move everyone up a base while driving in one, followed by a walk by both Semler and Schiavoni as the pair picked up RBIs to make it 7-2.
 
Zurita capped off the inning with an RBI groundout as the Privateers' lead swelled to six at 8-2. Graff allowed a one out single in the top of the seventh but retired the final two batters to seal the game one victory for the Privateers.
 
On the game Russo had three hits and scored a run, while both Costleigh and Alwan both had multi-hit games. Schiavoni led the offense with a pair of RBIs, while Russo scored a team-high two runs in the win.
 
D'Ancona fanned five batters in his five innings of work, as he threw 73 pitches and scatted three hits in the win. Graff needed 41 pitches to get through his two innings of work as he allowed three hits and struck out three mountaineers.
 
Game 2 Recap
In the second game Bruinsma retired the side with ease in the top of the first inning to bring the offense up in the bottom of the inning.
 
Costleigh led off the inning with a base knock up the middle, followed by a single by Deddo. Semler doubled down the line to bring home the pair and give Maritime the early 2-0 lead. Two batters later Russo doubled, followed by a double off the bat of Schiavoni as the pair each drove in one apiece to give Maritime a 4-0 edge.
 
In the bottom of the second Costleigh sparked the offense again with a double off the top of the left centerfield wall but was picked off. Deddo walked followed by walks by both Semler and Schiavoni to load the bases. Russo reached on a throwing error, which plated one run, followed by a double off the bat of Zurita to plate two more as the Privateers put up their second-straight four-run inning.
 
Maritime added one in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch as Diaz scored on a wild pitch. Bruinsma posted another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth ahead of another RBI from Diaz as his groundout brought Semler home with the 10th and final run of the game.
 
Buckshaw came on and allowed a leadoff single before a trio of groundouts ended the inning. The first out came in acrobatic form as Costleigh toe-dragged the second base bag to save an error and record the out.
 
In the top of the sixth four of the newest Privateers made their Maritime debuts as sophomore Jake Vera(Plainview, N.Y./Bethpage), and freshmen Nick McTighe (Merrick, N.Y./Holy Trinity), Angelo Brucculeri(Syosset, N.Y./Syosset), and Adam Mosca (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) all entered for the first time this season. During the inning Buckshaw struck out the side to escape trouble in the sixth.
 
Paghidas took over in the seventh and allowed one two-out baserunner before striking out the final batter of the game.
 
Maritime (3-1) will head south for their first of five games in Florida, with the opening game coming against Penn State-Behrend on Wednesday at 3 p.m. from the Lawnwood Sports Complex in Fort Pierce.
 
Southern Vermont (1-4) will also head south as the Mountaineers will play a five-game road swing in the in the Mid-Atlantic States beginning with Mary Washington on Monday, March 12.