3/10/2002 - Baseball
Navy Baseball Outlasts Rhode Island, 5-3, in 11 Innings
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DELAND, Fla. ? Sophomore Dean Farmer?s (Knoxville, Tenn.) bases-loaded single to left center in the top of the 11th inning, scored John Cocca (Sr./Whitehall, Pa.) and Matt Lukevics (Fr./Tampa, Fla.) to break a 3-3 tie and give the Navy baseball team a 5-3 victory over Rhode Island Sunday evening at Conrad Park on the campus of Stetson University.
?We dodged a bullet in the ninth inning, but Zach Poelma (Jr./East Amherst, N.Y.) did a great job in relief,? Navy head coach Steve Whitmyer said. ?It was important to get the trip off to a good start. Rhode Island battled hard, so it was a tough win for us.?
Navy (5-6) led 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, however back-to-back URI singles to start the inning off of Navy relief pitcher Ryan Naquin (Jr./Sweeny, Texas) and a walk loaded the bases. Poelma entered the game with the bases loaded nobody out. In the first batter Poelma faced, he hit Mike Schiappa to score Matthew Jackson from third. Poelma then got Mike Sullivan to hit into a fielder's choice to third base where Navy's Jake Miller (Jr./Santa Maria, Calif.) fired home and got the force. In the next at-bat, John Maloney hit into another fielder's choice to third and Miller threw home, getting pinch runner Jared Trout on the force. Joah Peck tried to get to third on the play but was thrown out at third base, as Navy escaped trouble, sending the game to extra innings.
Cocca led off the 11th with a single to left field and advanced to second on Brian Whitten?s (Sr./Westfield, Mass.) sacrifice bunt. Lukevics walked and Jason Guidos (Sr./Portland, Ore.) struck out before Farmer?s game-winning hit.
Navy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against on Miller?s RBI-single to left field, scoring Farmer. The Mids squandered several key scoring opportunities in the second and third innings. With the bases loaded in the second, Farmer hit into an inning-ending double play, while Whitten struck out with runners on second and third base to end the third inning.
URI (3-4) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Matthew Jackson scored from first base on Dan Batz?s RBI-double to left center.
In the top of the sixth, Lukevics doubled to right center with two outs. Guidos then singled to second base, however Lukevics tried to score from third base but was thrown out at the plate.
Navy took advantage of two URI errors by shortstop Matt Booker, his fourth and fifth of the game, in the top of the seventh to score two unearned runs and take a 3-1 lead. Farmer reached on an error by Booker with one out before David Woolsey (Sr./Columbia, S.C.) came to the plate and doubled to the left field corner to score Farmer. Woolsey crossed home from third base when Booker overthrew first on Miller?s grounder to short.
Maloney blasted a solo home run over the scoreboard in left center off Naquin to lead off the eighth inning for the Rams, cutting the Mids? lead to 3-2.
Cocca went 3-for-5, while Lukevics added a hit and a double for the Mids. Hometown product Craig Candeto (So./Orange City, Fla.) had one hit in five at-bats in front of a crowd of over 100 family and friends.
Poelma improved to 1-0 with the win, while URI starter Dan Pearce dropped to 1-2 overall. Navy starter Andy Froistad (So./St. Paul, Minn.) threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits with two strikeouts.
Navy returns to action Monday when the Mids take on North Florida at 7 p.m. in Jacksonville, Fla. The game is the final game of the UNF Kennel Club Classic and is designated ?Military Night.?
