Baseball drops 7-3 decision to open three game set with Bucs

North Adams, MA—Mass. Maritime's Justin Brown tossed a complete game in leading the Buccaneers to a hard fought 7-3 win over the MCLA Trailblazers in MASCAC baseball action from the Zavattaro athletics complex.  The Bucs improve to 17-11 overall and remain tied atop the MASCAC at 9-2.  MCLA falls to 10-18 on the season and is 1-10 in conference play.

Brown allowed eight hits in going the distance.  He allowed the three earned runs and struck out a pair of Trailblazers.  He improved to 4-1 on the season.

The Buccaneers scored first when Alex Schlapak drove in Chris Perito with a groundout in the third inning for an early 1-0 lead.  It was short lived however as MCLA answered in the bottom half.  Randy Adams began the rally with an RBI single that scored Matthew Belfance to tie things up at 1-1.  Following an out, Ty Mazzeo gave MCLA the lead as his groundout brought home Robinson Guerrero-Baez to make it 2-1 after three innings of play.

Maritime tied things up again in the fifth on AJ Luciano's sacrifice fly to center field scoring Chris Perito.

MMA took the lead an inning later.  Aidan Henderson singled home Zach Sylvia after he was moved into scoring position via a sacrifice bunt.  Henderson's single made it 3-2 in favor of the Bucs.  The inning had momentum, however MCLA's Matthew Belfance cut down MMA's AJ Pietrafesa at third base to end the frame. 

The Bucs would add an insurance tallies in the seventh and eighth innings.  Zach Sylvia drove in Tucker Leslie, who had also singled, to make it 4-2 in the seventh.  MCLA escaped further damage as MMA's stranded a pair of runners in scoring position.  In the eighth, Perito drove home Aidan Henderson with a two out single to increase the lead to 5-2.

MCLA would cut the deficit to 5-3 in the eighth when senior Randy Adams launched a deep home run to left field.  The solo shot was his team leading fourth of the season.

Mass. Maritime would put the game away in the ninth inning against the MCLA bullpen.  Luciano scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead back to three at 6-3.  Then Aidan Henderson drew a bases loaded walk to make it 7-3.  MCLA's Brett Norman came out of the pen and recorded a pair of popups with the bases loaded to end the threat.

MCLA threatened in the ninth putting two runners in scoring position with just one out, however Brown induced a pair of groundouts to clinch the win.

Sylvia led the MMA offense going 3-5 with a pair of runs scored.  Henderson and Perito each ended with two hits for the Bucs.

Tristan Ciarlo and Adams each paced the Trailblazer offense with a pair of hits. 

Bryan Rosario (1-6) was saddled with the loss as he went the first 5.2 innings.  He allowed just four hits and three earned runs.  He struck out three batters. 

The two teams will meet again tomorrow to complete their three games series.  The doubleheader will be played at Hendy Field on the campus of Mass. Maritime.  First pitch is scheduled for 1pm.