Feb. 24, 2008
Box Score
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Despite a solid pitching performance by Navy southpaw Yale Eckert (So./La Selva Beach, Calif.), the Midshipmen came up on the short end of an 8-1 decision against Arkansas State in baseball action during the third and final day of the Service Academy Spring Classic at USA Stadium on Sunday. Navy fell to 2-1 on the year with the loss, while Arkansas State upped its mark to 2-1.
"Arkansas State's pitchers did a good job of getting ahead all day and really shut us down," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "They threw very well. Their starter (Jacob Maggard) had a real hard fastball, slider and attacked the zone."
Eckert, the tough-luck loser, scattered four hits and two runs over 6.1 innings with no walks and six strikeouts. The tall left-hander used only 66 pitches to record 19 outs, 45 of which were strikes. However, Navy's offense was held in check by Arkansas State starter Jacob Maggard, who fired six innings of shutout baseball to earn the win.
"Yale pitched very well and was the big positive of the day," said Kostacopoulos. "He has all three of his pitches going against a good hitting Arkansas State team. He gave exactly what we were looking for with six-plus innings and a close, 2-0, ballgame."
The Indians took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, as leadoff hitter Derrick Coleman homered for the second time in as many days. That would be the game's only scoring until the sixth inning, when Todd Baumgartner scored on a wild pitch. Following Eckert's departure, the Indians plated six runs against Navy's bullpen over the final 2.2 innings.
Navy's best opportunity to tie or take the lead came in the fourth inning, as the Midshipmen loaded the bases with a pair of hits and walk. However, Maggard got out of the jam with a strikeout to maintain the one-run cushion.
The Midshipmen got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning, when Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) singled home Renaldo Hollins (Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.), who had reached on a one-out walk.
Hamilton was the lone Navy hitter to post a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with the eighth-inning RBI. The Midshipmen were out-hit by the Indians, 9-4.
The Midshipmen will fly back to the East Coast and host Georgetown on Tuesday in their home opener at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The first game of the nine-game homestand is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start and GameTracker will be available on www.NavySports.com.
