Feb. 25, 2009
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy staged a three-run rally with two outs in the seventh inning to tie Delaware State, 5-5, after 10 innings in baseball action on Wednesday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen saw their record move to 1-1-1 on the year, while the Hornets suffered their first non-win of the season to fall to 3-0-1.
Trailing 5-2 with two outs and runners on first and second, catcher Steven Soares (Jr./Coral Springs, Fla.) fell down in the count, 0-2, before singling to center to drive home Kendall Bolt (Jr./Stockton, Calif.), who doubled with one out. Pinch-hitter Jonathan Berkowitz (Jr./Parkland, Fla.) chopped a single to right to bring home Andrew Hahn (Fr./Ellicott City, Md.), who reached on a walk. The Mids called upon another pinch hitter, this time Jeff Bland (So./Basking Ridge, N.J.), and he worked the count full before doubling to the gap in left-center to tie the game at five.
"The rally in the seventh was good, since they were pretty much handling us up to that point," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "Any time you score with runs with two outs is a job well done. The pinch hitters came up with big clutch hits and were able to get us back into the game with chances to win."
With the go-ahead run standing 90 feet away, Delaware State reliever Anthony Gibbons ended the Navy threat with a strikeout. The Midshipmen had another chance with a runner in scoring position with two outs in the eighth, but had that rally quelled by another strikeout. Neither team could mount enough offense to score another run in the ninth or 10th innings before the game was called due to darkness.
The Midshipmen left 12 runners on base on the afternoon, nine of which were in scoring position.
"We set ourselves up well today. Stealing five bases and not capitalizing off that is frustrating," said Kostacopoulos. "Throughout the course of any season, you are going to go through a stretch of offensive challenges. Ours appears to be coming early this year."
Delaware State took a 2-0 lead after three innings, but Navy answered with a run in each of the next-two frames to tie the contest. Hahn led off with a single and advanced to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run with Mike Guadagnini (So./Virginia Beach, Va.) singling through the vacated shortstop position. After a hit batsman loaded the bases, Nick Driscoll (So./Riverview, Fla.) drew a walk to bring in the hosts' first run. One inning later, Michael Speciale (Jr./Pearland, Texas) reached on an error, stole second and third base before Hahn drove him in with a single up the middle.
The Hornets re-took the lead in the sixth, as Ross Babineaux smacked a RBI-triple and would score on a Wynton Weather single. In the seventh, Babineaux delivered a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 5-2.
In his collegiate debut on Wednesday, Hahn went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, a RBI and a stolen base. Guadagnini and Driscoll each reached base safely twice on the afternoon, as Guadagnini went 1-for-4 with a walk and Driscoll drew two free passes. The Midshipmen were out-hit by the Hornets, 10-8, but drew five walks and were hit by a pitch twice.
Working on a pitch limit, southpaw starter Sam Long (So./Newnan, Ga.) allowed two runs - one earned - and five hits over three innings with no walks and six strikeouts. Rookie TJ Kerins (Fr./Marietta, Ga.) yielded two runs on four hits in three innings of relief with no walks and two strikeouts. Left-hander Chris Murray (Jr./Navarre, Fla.) also threw three innings for the Mids, as he allowed one run on one hit. Drew Carlson (Jr./Boca Raton, Fla.) came on and worked a scoreless 10th inning for Navy.
"Overall, to pitch 10 innings and walk only one batter with eight strikeouts, that's a solid performance that gives us a chance to win," stated Kostacopoulos. "We've been able to pitch in the strike zone in all-three games this year. We are doing what we need to do on the mound."
The Midshipmen will return to action this Saturday and Sunday when they host a pair of doubleheaders against Cornell at 11 a.m. each day. Admission is free to all home games at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium and live stats will be available via GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.)
DIAMOND NOTES
- Wednesday's contest was called after 10 innings due to darkness ... it was Navy's second tie due to darkness in its last-nine home games ... the Midshipmen tied New York Tech, 9-9, in 10 innings on May 3, 2008.
- Navy was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen-base attempts on Wednesday ... the Midshipmen are now 9-for-9 stealing bases in 2009.
- Ross Babineaux's triple in the sixth inning for Delaware State was the first extra-base hit allowed by the Midshipmen this year.
- The Midshipmen have left 22 runners on base during the last-two games ... of those 22 runners, 18 were in scoring position.
- Starter Sam Long recorded a career-high six strikeouts on Wednesday ... his performance surpassed his five-strikeout effort against Coppin State last spring.
- Navy's starting pitchers this year have combined for 2.57 ERA in 14.0 innings with just four walks and 16 strikeouts.
- Navy is now 8-2-1 in its all-time series with Delaware State ... the two teams will meet again later this year on April 28 in Dover, Del.
- The Midshipmen remained undefeated at home in February baseball action all-time ... with Wednesday's tie, Navy is 6-0-2 on its home field in the second calendar month.
- Wednesday's home opener was the third earliest in school history ... Navy opened home play on Feb. 5 with a doubleheader against Coppin State in 2006 and on Feb. 17, 2007, with a twinbill against Iona.
