March 13, 2008
Box Score
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The Navy baseball team slugged 10 extra-base hits and 24 base knocks on the day to defeat Maryland-Eastern Shore, 20-6, on Thursday afternoon at Hawks Stadium. The Midshipmen jumped back above the .500 mark with a 7-6 mark, while the Hawks dropped to 0-14.
The 20 runs scored are the most by the Midshipmen since March 22, 2003, when they plated 24 runs against Hartford. The 24 base hits are the most since they tallied 24 hits against Bucknell in the 2003 Patriot League Tournament.
"Our overall offensive production was good today," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We were able to work our way into good hitting counts. Early in the game when we were down, the offense was able to come up with some big two-out hits.
Navy's offensive outburst came despite having traveled during the night to the Eastern Shore on Wednesday after playing 16th-ranked Virginia yesterday in Charlottesville, Va.
"We did a real good job of handling the travel over the last-two days," said Kostacopoulos. "Playing in two different venues, I think we handled both very well. The team's focus has been good in both games."
Maryland-Eastern Shore jumped out to 3-0 lead after one inning of play before the Midshipmen took the lead for good in the second en route to 13 unanswered runs.
In the second, Jeff Bland (Fr./Basking Ridge, N.J.) belted a towering solo shot to left to put the Mids on the board. With two outs and runners on first and second, Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) smacked a RBI-double down the right-field line. One batter later, Navy took a 4-3 lead with a Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) two-run single to right-center.
The Midshipmen exploded for nine runs on eight hits with 14 batters coming to the plate to put the game out of reach in the third inning. Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) smashed a 410-foot shot over the centerfield fence to spark the big inning. Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.) followed with a triple to the gap in left-center and would later score on a single. All told, eight different Navy hitters scored a run in the inning, with Bolt coming around again later in the inning on another RBI-single from Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.).
One frame later, Wright smacked his second double of the game before Speciale pounded a two-run blast over the fence in left-center. Speciale's third round-tripper of the year extended Navy's lead to 15-4.
In the sixth, Speciale tripled to left-center and would cross home plate on a Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) run-scoring single. Hamilton would eventually score on a Bolt single to center. The Midshipmen brought home two more runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to account for their 20-run afternoon.
Each Navy starter recorded a run and a hit on the day as 11 different Mids scored a run, 11 posted a base hit and 10 drove in a run.
Guadagnini became the second Navy freshman to record a four-hit performance this year, as he finished 4-for-6 with three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk. Wright, Speciale, Hamilton and Bland each had three hits on Thursday afternoon. Speciale came just a double shy of hitting for the cycle, while Bland needed a triple to achieve the rare feat.
Making his first-collegiate start, Chip Tengler (Fr./Alamo, Calif.) allowed six runs, four of which were earned, and six hits over five innings with one walk and four strikeouts to earn his first-career win. Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.) fired two scoreless innings of relief, followed by Ridge Alkonis's (So./Claremont, Calif.) two innings of shutout baseball with two strikeouts.
"Chip really settled in after the first to give us five innings, which is all we needed him to do in a game like today," stated Kostacopoulos. "This was the best Jonathan has thrown all year - he had good velocity. Ridge struggled with his control a little bit but settled in and did a good job."
The Midshipmen head back to Annapolis tonight to host their second round-robin tournament in as many weekends. Navy will open its home weekend against Monmouth tomorrow at 3 p.m. Live stats for all of Navy's home games will be available via GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.)
