BRONX, N.Y. (April 12, 2026) – The USMMA baseball team battled rival SUNY Maritime in a high-scoring Skyline Conference doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Reinhart Field, powering past the Privateers 11-8 in game one before coming up just short in a 16-13 slugfest in game two despite an explosive comeback effort. The Mariners' record goes to 14-7 (7-1 Skyline), while the Privateers improve to 14-11 (11-1 Skyline).

Game Links

• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

Game 1 Highlights

• Merchant Marine struck first in the opening inning as sophomore Luke Kruer (Sellersburg, Ind.) launched a two-run home run to right field to give Kings Point a 2-0 lead.
• SUNY Maritime answered immediately in the bottom of the first with a grand slam to take a 4-2 advantage.
• KP responded with a four-run third inning to regain control. Junior Landon Troutt (Fairfield, Calif.) drove in a run on a ground out, Kruer followed with an RBI single, senior Charles Cahalan (Overland Park, Kan.) brought in a run on a bunt, and junior Tommy Chiappetti (Buckeye, Ariz.) capped the rally with an RBI double to make it 6-4.
• The visitors added another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly RBI from sophomore Braden Vazquez (Missouri City, Texas) to extend the lead to 7-4. Maritime got one back in the bottom half to cut it to 7-5.
• USMMA extended its lead in the fifth inning when freshman Ryan Melton (Newnan, Ga.) blasted a two-run home run to make it 9-5.
• Both teams traded home runs in the sixth inning as Kruer and junior Christian Gamez (Kent Island, Md.) went back-to-back for the Mariners, while Maritime answered with a two-run shot to make it 11-8. The Mariners held on the rest of the way to secure the 11-8 victory.
• The Blue and Gray posted their 10th double-digit hitting performance of the season and had five players record multi-hit games.
• Kruer led the way with a game-high four hits, while Troutt, Gamez, freshmen Thomas Byrne (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), and Davin Fulton (Houston, Texas) each recorded two hits.
• Kruer drove in a game-best four runs, while Melton added two RBIs.
• Kruer led the Mariners with two home runs, while Gamez and Melton all went deep once.
• Kruer and Fulton stole a base.
• Freshman Tucker Bearden (Lakeland, Tenn.) earned his team-leading fourth victory of the season, going four innings and striking out a career-high five batters. Senior Eddie Lippert (Deer Park, N.Y.) allowed one run and struck out two, while classmate Caden Pierce (Marietta, Ga.) secured his third save of the season and 20th of his career with a scoreless seventh inning and one strikeout.

Game 2 Highlights 

• SUNY Maritime jumped out to an early lead in the first inning with back-to-back solo home runs to take a 2-0 advantage.
• The Mariners got on the board in the second inning when Fulton delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1.
• Kruer tied the game in the third inning with a solo home run to make it 2-2.
• The Privateers responded with a big third and fourth inning to take a commanding 12-2 lead.
• Kings Point mounted a strong comeback effort in the fifth inning, scoring six runs. Gamez drove in a run with an RBI single, Cahalan added an RBI ground out, and freshman Axel Prechel (Corvallis, Ore.) knocked in a run with a single. Freshman Drew Davis (Springboro, Ohio) capped the rally with a three-run home run. Troutt followed with a two-run double to pull the Mariners within 12-10.
• Maritime answered with two more home runs in the fifth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 15-10.
• Kruer added his second home run of the game in the seventh inning with a two-run shot to cut the deficit to 15-12.
• The Privateers added another run in the bottom of the seventh, and despite an RBI single from Cahalan in the ninth, the Mariners fell short as Maritime held on for a 16-13 victory.
• The Blue and Gray totaled a season-high 20 hits and had seven players register multi-hit games.
• Kruer, Troutt, Cahalan, Davis, and Vazquez all posted three-hit games, while Gamez and Fulton each recorded two hits.
• The Mariners had four players record multi-RBI games, with Kruer and Davis driving in a team-high three runs each, while Troutt and Cahalan added two RBIs apiece.
• The Blue and Gray went yard three times, with Kruer belting two dingers to tie the all-time program home run record with 19, while Davis added one deep fly in the game.
• Vazquez and Prechel each recorded a stolen base.
• The bullpen helped keep Kings Point within striking distance, allowing just four runs. Freshman Levi Reale (Woodbridge, Va.) went one inning, allowing four hits and two runs with two strikeouts. Sophomore Louis Inserra (Coplay, Pa.) and Lippert each allowed one run. Sophomore Travis Campbell (Alba, Texas) pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
• Jackson Tulchoski earned the win for the Privateers, allowing five hits and two runs in two innings of work.

Up Next
Merchant Marine returns home in non-conference play to take on Bard on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Bartoszek Field.

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