4/24/2005 - Baseball
Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Lehigh Sunday

Files associated with this release:
Navy-Lehigh, April 24 (Game One)
Navy-Lehigh, April 24 (Game Two)

Bethlehem, Pa. - The Navy baseball team split its doubleheader with Lehigh Sunday at Goodman Field in Bethlehem, Pa. The Mids exploded for six runs in the seventh inning of the second game to pull out a 6-4 victory after they dropped the opening game by a 10-5 count.

Navy is 10-26-1 overall and 5-9 in the Patriot League after the split, while the Mountain Hawks are 22-15-1 overall and 10-4 in the league.

Navy freshman hurler Mark McCoy (Parkland, Fla.) started the second game and earned the win by allowing just two earned runs and scattering six hits with four strikeouts over seven innings of work. McCoy also issued no walks in running his record to 2-4 on the season. He continued to lower his earned run average, as he has trimmed it from 16.80-to-4.37 in his last six starts.

"McCoy pitched awesome for us in the second game," Navy head coach Steve Whitmyer said. "We had a rough first game, but he gave us a big boost in the second."

Lehigh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Mids battled back in the seventh with six runs, highlighted with a two-run double from senior Trevor Thompson (Kent, Wash.). Freshmen Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas) and Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) both scored on the play, as Hamilton had reached earlier in the frame on an RBI base hit.

Hamilton also had a solid game for Navy in the day's first contest as he smacked his a solo homer, which was the first of his collegiate career. Thompson and Hamilton have been spectacular at the plate during Patriot League play this season. Thompson (.373) and Hamilton (.370) are the two-leading hitters for the Mids in 14-Patriot League games during the 2005 campaign. Thompson has a homer and seven runs batted in, while Hamilton has a home run and six RBIs.

"Both guys have come up big for us during league games this season," Whitmyer said. "Trevor is having a fine senior season and Thomas is showing tremendous potential in his first season."

Lehigh scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and tacked on another run in the eighth, but Navy relievers Daniel Kovalcik (Westwood, Mass.) and Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) combined for the final three outs of the ninth to nail down the win for Navy. Harris, who also had an RBI in the win, was credited with his second save of the season.

"Our relievers got the job done and got us a big win," Whitmyer said. "I'm happy that they performed well in a pressure situation."

Lehigh scored six runs in the first inning of the opening game and never looked back. The Mids scored all five of their runs in the seventh inning, but could not complete the comeback.

Hamilton, Hollins, Jonathan-Matthew Johnston (Hamilton Township, N.J.) and Matt Lukevics (Tampa, Fla.) each had two hits apiece.

Both teams will conclude their series Monday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., at Goodman Field.