BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – March 20, 2024 – The Dean College baseball team came back from a 7-5 deficit to defeat Massachusetts Maritime, 8-7, Wednesday night.

Dean (3-5) will begin conference action on Friday with a 3:30 p.m. game at the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.). Mass Maritime falls to 5-8.

Eight Bulldogs found the hit column with sophomore Nick Amendolara (Bayville, N.Y.) the lone Dean player recording multiple hits. He along with first-year Nathan Suncar (Boston, Mass.) each knocked in two runs. Sophomore Gavin Goss (Glenwood Landing, N.Y.) had a hit, an RBI and scored twice.

First-year Dylan Altermatt (North Branford, Conn.) was credited with his first collegiate victory after 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. Sophomore Jacob Koble (Narragansett, R.I.) struck out a pair in a clean ninth to close the door and earn the save.

AJ Pietrafesa had three hits to lead the Bucs. Brett Velzis had two hits and drove in three runs, while Evan Vieira also had two hits.

The Bulldogs scored three times in their first at-bat with Amendolara knocking in a pair with single. First-year Owen Critchley (Dayton, Maine) followed with an RBI single.
The home team got two back in their first at-bat on RBIs from Velzis and Vieira.

MMA plated four in the third thanks to a two-run homer by Velzis, a sac fly and an RBI single for a 6-3 advantage.

The Bulldogs scored single runs in the fourth on a Goss RBI single and a run in the fifth on a sac fly by junior Joey Bossinas (Ossining, N.Y.) to pull within 6-5.
After the Bucs pushed their lead back to 7-5 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, Dean responded.

In the top of the sixth, Suncar hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 7-7. His homerun was his team leading third of the season.

The Bulldogs scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh when Bossinas came around on a Bucs miscue to give Dean the 8-7 lead.