THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime Baseball team is heading back to the playoffs courtesy of a bottom of the seventh inning walk-off home run by sophomore Chris Deddo (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville), as the Privateers knocked off the Old Westbury Panthers in game two by a 6-5 score. Earlier in the day, Old Westbury had taken game one by an 18-6 score.
With the victory in game two, the Privateers clinched a berth in the Skyline Conference Tournament and are currently standing in fourth place heading into the final weekend of the year. The Privateers can finish as high as second if the team can sweep Farmingdale; help would also be needed from Mount St. Vincent against Old Westbury, as well as from Purchase taking on St. Joseph's (LI) next weekend.
Between games, Maritime celebrated the careers of the five seniors that were playing in their final
home regular season games as Bruce Tyler (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place), Paul Woodburn (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown), Kevin Monahan (Seaford, N.Y./MacArthur), Michael Oliva (Staten Island, N.Y./New Dorp), and Justin Baierlein (Richmond Hill, N.Y./High School for CTEA) were honored with a brief on-field ceremony.
On the day, Deddo and junior Brian McLaughlin (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) led the team with three hits apiece, while Deddo and sophomore Stephen Semler (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) both scored two runs each over the course of the day. Deddo, Woodburn, Semler and freshman Anthony Vieto (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) all hit home runs, while Woodburn and Vieto had the team-lead with three RBIs on the afternoon.
With his walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two, Deddo connected on his fifth home run of the season which tied the single-season record set by Joe Longo '15 a season ago, as well as Matthew Cresswell '09, who picked up five home runs in both his junior and senior seasons.
Sophomore Tyler Stuart (Palm Coast, Fla./Matanzas) went the distance in game two, yielding just three runs over seven innings of work while striking out seven Panthers as he collected the victory in game two. Stuart tied the single-season wins mark with his fifth pitching victory of the season.
Earlier in the day, freshman Alex Poliwoda (Southold, N.Y./Southold) got the start and pitched five innings. Freshman Nick Fortunato (Coram, N.Y./Longwood), along with Oliva and junior Dan Marino (Westwood, N.J./Westwood) helped the Privateers finish off the games combining for three innings in relief.
In game two, Stuart got things started a quick inning as he hung up his first zero of the afternoon. He continued his strong start as he retired the side in order in the top of the second, then struck out the side in the top of the third inning.
In the bottom of the third, Maritime threatened as Deddo singled and was erased on a fielder's choice by Monahan. Monahan then stole second for his 25th steal of the season, tying the modern-day record for stolen bases in a single-year. As he stole second, the ball bounced away and Monahan scampered to third, but the Privateers were unable to drive him in as the game moved to the fourth frame.
Old Westbury got on the board as the first two batters reached. A sacrifice fly brought home the first run of the game for the Panthers and on the next pitch, Old Westbury was up by three after a two-run home run over the right centerfield fence.
In the bottom of the inning, Semler helped the Privateers get on the board with a lead off solo home run to deep left field. McLaughlin followed with a double, and then moved up to third on a groundout. McLaughlin was thrown out at home trying to score as Tyler reached on a fielder's choice to third base.
Deddo got the Privateers going again in the bottom of the fifth with a one out single to deep in the hole at shortstop; Monahan was then hit by a pitch, followed by the runners moving into scoring position on a wild pitch. Woodburn drove a ball to deep centerfield as Deddo tagged up and pulled the Privateers within one run.
On another wild pitch, Monahan moved up to third, and as the catcher threw down to third, the ball bounced away allowing Monahan to tie the game at three. Stuart went back to work and mowed down the Panthers in both the top of the sixth and seventh, allowing just a two-out double in the sixth.
Up in the bottom of the seventh was Deddo to lead things off, and on a 1-1 pitch, sent the ball sailing over the right field fence as the Privateers recorded the walk-off victory.
It was Maritime's first walk-off victory since the 2013 season when it was Tyler, during his freshman season, to drive in a pair on a base hit to help the Privateers knock off non-conference City College of New York on March 17 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In the opener, Maritime's left-handed batters had big games as both Woodburn and Vieto both recorded two hits apiece and combined for the team's five RBIs.
With Poliwoda on the hill, Old Westbury got off to a quick start in the top of the first inning. The Panthers touched up the Privateer right-hander for three runs to take an early lead.
The Maritime offense came up in the bottom of the inning and responded back with four runs. Monahan reached on a one-out walk, and then stole second. Woodburn was up next and sent a long home run over the centerfield fence, just to the left of the batter's eye. Semler and McLaughlin reached on singles, followed by Vieto doubling the pair home to put Maritime ahead by a 4-3 score.
The Privateers added another run as freshman Joe Scerra (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) was hit by a pitch, junior Joe DiLeo (Naples, Fla./St. John Neumann) singled on a bunt as he avoided a tag along the baseline to put a pair of runners on. Deddo wrapped into a double play, allowing Scerra to move up to third. Scerra then scored on a wild pitch with Monahan batting to make it a 5-3 game.
Poliwoda stranded the bases loaded in the top of the second, and stranded two more in the third. In the fourth inning, he was not as fortunate as the Panthers evened the game at five with a pair of runs in the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Vieto launched a home run over the right centerfield fence to break the tie once again and give the Privateers a 6-5 advantage.
The Panthers took back the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth, and continued to add on with three more in the top of the sixth. Poliwoda left the game after facing the first two batters in the sixth, before Fortunato worked into and out of trouble before stranding a pair in scoring position.
Fortunato allowed four more Panther runs in the top of the seventh, and was lifted in the eighth inning for Oliva. After Oliva got the first two outs in the frame, junior Dan Marino (Westwood, N.J./Westwood) came on and retired the final batter of the inning as Old Westbury had moved ahead by an 18-6 score.
Junior Chris Stewart (Bethpage, N.Y./Chaminade) walked with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but the Panthers were too far ahead for the Privateer comeback attempt as the Panthers had triggered the Skyline Conference 10-run rule to pick up the victory in eight innings.
Maritime (20-13, 9-5 Skyline) will wrap-up the regular season on Saturday afternoon, when the team travels to Farmingdale for a date with the Rams, who clinched the league's regular season title on Sunday afternoon. The doubleheader is slated to begin at 12 p.m.
Old Westbury (22-13, 10-4 Skyline) will return home to the Jackie Robinson Athletic Complex for their final five games of the season, beginning with the John Jay Bloodhounds for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m.
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