April 18, 2009
Game One Box Score (Bucknell 8, Navy 2)
Game Two Box Score (Navy 16, Bucknell 8)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy leadoff hitter Mike Guadagnini (So./Virginia Beach, Va.) went 4-for-8 with five runs scored and four RBIs to help the Midshipmen to a baseball doubleheader split with Bucknell on Saturday afternoon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Mids dropped the opener, 8-2, before bouncing back with 17 base hits to win the nightcap, 16-8.
Navy saw its record go to 15-21-1 overall and 7-7 in the Patriot League, while Bucknell had its record move to 16-20 and 8-6 in league play.
The 16 runs produced by the Midshipmen in the back end of Saturday's twinbill was the most in a Patriot League game since they plated 16 at Bucknell one season ago. It was Navy's highest run total during a league home game since the 1999 season when it defeated Lafayette in Annapolis, 25-0.
Guadagnini was one of 10 Navy hitters to record a base knock in game two, as he went 2-for-5 with a walk, four runs scored, a triple and three RBIs. Kendall Bolt (Jr./Stockton, Calif.) finished 3-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs, while JD Melton (Jr./Myrtle Beach, S.C.) went 2-for-2 with a walk, hit by pitch, four runs scored and a RBI. Michael Speciale (Jr./Pearland, Texas), Jeff Bland (So./Basking Ridge, N.J.) and Mike Hoosier (Jr./Pomona, N.Y.) each contributed two base hits.
"The offense did a nice job in the second game making the pitchers throw strikes," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "They didn't chase pitches and get themselves out. That patience led to runners on base, and then some hits, which in turn accounted for our runs.
"Mike (Guadagnini) has been a catalyst for the club. He seems to be on base all the time. He's also been able to stabilize our infield at shortstop and has helped turn a few more double plays. He's playing some very good baseball right now."
In the nightcap, Bucknell took a 1-0 lead in the first before the Mids tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Guadagnini drew a leadoff walk and would come home on a two-out single up the middle by Speciale.
The Midshipmen took control of the game in the second inning, as they scored eight runs and sent 12 batters to the plate in taking a 9-1 lead. Nick Driscoll (So./Riverview, Fla.) drew a bases-loaded walk with no outs to bring in the go-ahead run before Guadagnini smacked a bases-clearing triple to center. Following the fifth walk of the game that chased Bucknell starter Eric Jarrett, Bolt delivered a RBI-single to left, proceeded by a Speciale run-scoring single to right. After a strikeout and a caught stealing brought the Bison within one out from getting out of the inning, Bland smacked a double down the left-field line to bring in the seventh and eighth runs of the frame.
Bucknell plated a run in the third, but Navy took that run back in the bottom half and extended its lead in the fourth. In the third, Guadagnini produced an infield single before coming around to score on a Bolt double down the left-field line. One frame later, Jonathan Berkowitz (Jr./Parkland, Fla.) led off with a single and moved to third on a Melton double to the gap in right-center. Berkowitz would score on a groundout by Bland and Melton would touch home on a Hoosier sacrifice fly to center to make the score 12-2.
Navy kept its offensive machine going in the fifth, as it batted around for the second time in four innings - with 10 batters stepping to the plate - in taking a 16-2 lead. Bolt, Melton, Bland and Hoosier all had RBI-singles in the frame, the latter-three of which came with two outs.
Bucknell chipped away at the deficit with three runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but Navy reliever Chris Murray (Jr./Navarre, Fla.) induced two double-play balls to quell the threat in the eighth and ninth innings.
Starter Wes Olson (So./Indianapolis, Ind.) earned the win to improve to 3-4 on the year. He allowed five runs on seven hits over six-plus innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Murray came on in the eighth and fired 2.0 innings of shutout relief with no walks and a strikeout.
"Wes (Olson) threw very well," said Kostacopoulos. "Sometimes it is hard to throw with a big lead, as you try to stuff first-pitch fastballs and not walk batters. I thought he began to tire a little in the seventh, but he gave us the performance that we needed."
During the opening game of the series, Bucknell took an early 1-0 lead in the first and pushed the score to 5-0 in the third with a two-run double and a two-run home run that wrapped around the right-field foul pole.
The Bison plated an unearned run in the fourth before Navy got on the board in the bottom half of the inning with a RBI-groundout from Speciale that scored Guadagnini, who led off with a bunt single.
Bucknell answered back with two in the fifth before Navy took one back in the bottom of the stanza to make the score 8-2. Berkowitz drew a leadoff walk and would eventually come around to score on a Guadagnini sacrifice fly to center.
The Midshipmen had opportunities in the sixth and seventh to cut into the deficit, but came away empty-handed. In the sixth, Navy produced back-to-back singles before two flyouts and a groundout ended the frame. One inning later, Alex Azor (Fr./Miami, Fla.) led off with a single to center before Guadagnini roped into a double play at first.
"It is tough when battling from behind," stated Kostacopoulos. "We battled at the plate and had a couple of chances but just could not capitalize."
Matthew Curley (Jr./Boston, Mass.) went 3-for-4, while Guadagnini finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI. The Midshipmen were out-hit by the Bison, 15-8.
Navy starter Sam Long (So./Newnan, Ga.) was lifted after 4.1 innings of 14-hit, eight-run baseball with no walks and four strikeouts. He was tagged for the loss and saw his record dip to 3-2.
Reliever Alec Thomas (Jr./Kernersville, N.C.) did his part to keep the deficit from swelling, as he tossed 2.2 shutout innings with only one hit and no walks allowed with two strikeouts.
"Alec threw well out there," said Kostacopoulos. "Although it was not in a winning performance, he turned the momentum around and really settled us down. He did a nice job."
Navy and Bucknell will close out its four-game series with a 12:05 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow. The first game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network, as Tom Hart and former MLB player Kevin Stocker will call the action. The series finale will have live audio provided through Navy All-Access, as Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will deliver the call. Sunday is also "Take the Family to a Game," as families can purchase four hot dogs and four drinks for just $10.
DIAMOND NOTES
- Navy is now 59-46-1 against Bucknell in the all-time series ... the Midshipmen own a 41-21-1 all-time advantage over the Bison in Annapolis.
- The Midshipmen (7-7) remained just one game behind first-place Bucknell (8-6) in the Patriot League standings ... Army (8-6) went on the road and swept Lehigh (3-9), 6-4 and 12-0 on Saturday ... host Lafayette (8-6) won the opener over Holy Cross (6-6), 10-1, before the Crusaders rallied from a five-run deficit to win the nightcap, 14-10.
- Navy's 16 runs scored in the nightcap were the most this season and the highest total since a 17-5 win at Delaware State last season ... it was Navy's largest run total in a home game since the offense unloaded for a 24-2 win over Hartford back in 2003.
- Mike Guadagnini continued his red-hot streak at the plate with four hits, five runs and four RBIs on Saturday ... over his last-23 games, he's batting .442 (42-for-95) with 25 runs scored, eight doubles, four triples, three home runs and 15 RBIs ... among those 23 games, he's had 16 multi-hit performances.
- Mike Guadagnini and JD Melton each scored four runs in game two on Saturday ... that is a career high for both individuals.
- Jeff Bland tied his career high with four RBIs in the nightcap ... he produced four-RBI performances three other times in his career, most recently against Holy Cross on April 26, 2008.
- Navy's offense has excelled in warm weather this season ... in its seven games where the game-time temperature has been above 60 degrees, the Midshipmen hitting .375 (99-for-264) as a team with an average of 10.7 runs per game.
- Game two starter Wes Olson tied his career high in strikeouts with six ... he also fanned six at Delaware State on April 29, 2008 ... his 6.0-inning outing was Navy's longest in a league game since Sam Long's no-hitter at Lehigh on April 4.
- Navy's pitching staff did not issue a walk in the opener ... it marked the second time this season that it did not hand out a base on balls ... the Midshipmen first recorded the feat in a 2-1 win against Lafayette on March 29.
- The Midshipmen did not commit an error in game two on Saturday ... the Mids have played error-free baseball 12 times this year, posting a 6-6 mark in the process ... Navy is 4-1 in Patriot League games where it does not commit an error.
