March 21, 2008
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy starting pitcher Oliver Drake (So./Gardner, Mass.) scattered four hits over seven-plus innings to lead the Midshipmen to a 6-3 victory over Princeton in the first of a four-game baseball set at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium on Friday afternoon. With the win, Navy improved to 11-7 on the year and 7-2 over its last-nine games. Princeton fell under the .500 mark at 6-7 with the setback.
"This was a good college baseball game - both teams played very well," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "The big difference today came with us getting some two-out hits. Another key came in the third inning, when we scored three runs without making real solid contact and the ball not leaving the infield."
Drake upped his mark to 3-1 on the year, as he allowed two earned runs over the seven frames and struck out four. The Navy right-hander fired 116 pitches on Friday, 71 of which went for strikes.
"Oliver had some good stuff, but his command seemed to leave him at a couple of times today," said Kostacopoulos. "He had a few rough spots, but was able to battle and work his way out of the jams. The bottom line - he allowed only three runs today."
Reliever Drew Carlson (So./Boca Raton, Fla.) stepped in for Drake and delivered two scoreless innings with a strikeout to earn his first-career save. Carlson has not allowed an earned run over his five appearances this year, a span of 11.1 innings.
"Drew did a very good job in another tough spot," Kostacopoulos said. "He was able to get ground ball outs - that is him. He can and will give up some hits, but he will also take some of those away with the double plays he gets. It's nice to see him continually emerging and is developing into a third option for us in the bullpen."
Navy's top-three hitters in the lineup combined to go 8-for-14 with four runs scored and three RBIs. Thomas Hamilton (Sr./Houston, Texas) went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in, while Jonathan Wright (Fr./Arden, N.C.) crossed the plate twice in a 3-for-5 effort at the plate and Michael Speciale (So./Pearland, Texas) went 2-for-5 in his second-straight game at the leadoff spot.
"The top part of the lineup did exactly what it needed to do," Kostacopoulos stated. "We are beginning to see the order stretching out a little bit more than before. We need to keep working on it to become more consistent offensively."
The Mids out-hit the Tigers, 11-5, on Friday afternoon and struck out just three times while reaching base via a walk three times and hit by pitch once.
"Only striking out three times really makes us as a coaching staff smile," said Kostacopoulos. "We did a much better job of getting on base with two strikes against us."
The Midshipmen struck first in the third inning, scoring three runs. With runners on second and third with nobody out, Wright knocked in the first run of the game on an infield single. One out later, Mitch Harris (Sr./Mt. Holly, N.C.) brought home a run on a fielder's choice, as Princeton first baseman Adrian Turnham fielded the ball and initially went to first, but instead tried to gun down the runner, Speciale, heading home and the throw came too late. Wright would touch home on a Jonathan Berkowitz (So./Parkland, Fla.) RBI groundout.
Princeton chipped away with a run in the fourth and tied the game at three in the fifth. With a runner on second and one out in the fifth, Hollins made a spectacular running catch at the warning track in left-center to take away a sure extra-base hit and Drake induced a groundout to get out of the precarious spot.
The Tigers again had an opportunity to take the lead in the top half of the seventh, as its leadoff hitter singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a groundout to second. Drake again beared down and delivered in the clutch, as he got the final out of the inning with a strikeout swinging on a 3-2 count.
Navy carried that momentum into the bottom half of the frame, this time using a little two-out magic. Wright laced a triple down the right field line before Hamilton, who fell into a 0-2 count, ripped a single to right. Hamilton would come home to score on a Harris triple to right.
The Midshipmen tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Steven Soares (So./Coral Springs, Fla.) drew his second walk of the game to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice and a single moved him to third, Speciale smacked a single to center to bring in Soares and make the score 6-3.
The two teams will meet again tomorrow for a noon doubleheader before closing out the series with a single-game, noon ballgame on Sunday. Live stats for all of Navy's home games will be available via GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.)
