March 20, 2008
Box Score
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy leadoff hitter Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) went 4-for-5 with a home run, five RBIs and a stolen base to lead the Midshipmen to an 11-9 victory over Belmont Abbey on Thursday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen improved to 10-7 on the year, while the Crusaders saw their mark dip to 23-11.
Speciale, who was hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time in 2008, became the third Navy hitter this season to record a four-hit performance, joining Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) and Mike Guadagnini (Fr./Virginia Beach, Va.) on the list. Speciale's five RBIs are a career high and the most by a Navy hitter since Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) knocked in five at Maryland-Eastern Shore on March 11, 2006.
"Michael did a great job for us today," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "We really needed his clutch performances today to get the win. He played with his typical competitive nature, which always could lend himself to having a great game."
Speciale delivered what proved to be the game's deciding runs in the bottom half of the seventh, as his fourth hit of the day hooked around the foul pole down the right-field line for a two-run shot to put the Mids ahead 11-7.
The two teams both scored a run in the first before Navy took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, as Speciale came through with a two-run, RBI-single to left. However, Belmont Abbey plated three unearned runs in the third before Navy again tied the contest, this time at four apiece. Speciale keyed the frame with a two-run single to center.
The Midshipmen re-took the lead in the fifth and would not relinquish their advantage during the remainder of the contest. With the bases loaded and one out, Belmont Abbey reliever Trey Summerlin's pickoff throw to first sailed high and went out of play to allow two runs to score. Navy scored its third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Renaldo Hollins (Sr./Virginia Beach, Va.).
Navy crossed the plate twice in the sixth, courtesy of a Steven Soares (So./Coral Springs, Fla.) two-out, two-run single back through the box before Speciale's two-run shot in the seventh.
Belmont Abbey would not go quietly, as it scored three times in the seventh, once in the eighth and ninth innings. However, Navy reliever JD Melton (So./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) picked up the final-three outs of the game to earn his third save of the year and the 12th of his Navy career. His 12 career saves while donning the Navy Blue & Gold topped the previous program record of 11 held by Ryan Hefner between 2003 and '06.
Joining Speciale in the multi-hit department on Thursday were Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.), Soares and Kendall Bolt (So./Stockton, Calif.). Berkowitz, making his first start of the year, went 3-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. Soares came in as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning and concluded his day with a 2-for-3 showing at the dish with a double and two RBIs. Bolt reached base safely four times in the contest, as he went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
"As a team, I think we made a lot of mistakes today," said Kostacopoulos. "We were a step slow on too many plays and committed far too many mental errors. Thankfully, Michael, Steven and Jonathan gave us solid performances.
"It's always good to see guys come off the bench and contribute right away. Certainly, Jonathan did that today."
Navy starter Wes Olson (Fr./Indianapolis, Ind.) gave up just one earned run over four-plus innings with four strikeouts in his second-career start, a 93-pitch afternoon. Relief pitcher Kevin Heasley (Sr./Cincinnati, Ohio) backed up Olson in a tough spot during the fifth inning and picked up his first win of the season. With runners on the corners and nobody out and the game tied at four, Heasley induced a double play while holding the lead runner at third and forced a groundout to escape the inning unscathed. Heasley yielded just one hit with one strikeout over 2.1 innings on the hill.
"Kevin had a great get-out in the fifth," stated Kostacopoulos. "It was a turning point in the game and built our momentum off that two-batter sequence.
"I truly thought Wes threw the ball well. We just have to make the plays behind him. He really competed out there today."
Navy will continue its homestand with a four-game set against Princeton (6-6), starting with a single contest tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
