March 20, 2010
Game One Box Score (Navy 5, Princeton 3)
Game Two Box Score (Navy 10, Princeton 4)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team came from behind in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader to sweep Princeton, 5-3 and 10-4, at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen improved to 15-4 on the year, while the Tigers dropped to 3-10.
During the nightcap, Navy yielded a four-spot in the fourth before relievers Jeff Murdza (Sr./Hamilton, N.J.) and Tyler Mapes (Fr./Plano, Texas) came on and kept the Mids in the game. Murdza did not allow a run over his three innings of work, followed by Mapes's three scoreless innings of one-hit baseball with four strikeouts to earn the win.
"We had struggled early offensively and got down in a couple of games, but we were able to find a way to turn ourselves around," stated Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "Jeff (Murdza) came in and did a great job of minimizing the damage in the fourth. He and Tyler (Mapes) kept getting outs to allow us to claw back into the game."
Meanwhile, the Midshipmen began their rally in the bottom of the fourth. Alex Azor (So./Miami, Fla.) and Michael Speciale (Sr./Pearland, Texas) delivered back-to-back, one-out singles before Mike Hoosier (Sr./Pomona, N.Y.) deposited the first pitch he saw well beyond the fence in left-center with two down.
The Midshipmen would remain down a run until the seventh, when Kendall Bolt (Sr./Stockton, Calif.) led off with a triple to left-center and scored on a Hoosier groundout to second.
In the eighth, Navy exploded for six runs to take its first lead of the game. Azor got things started with a one-out double before back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Jonathan Berkowitz (Sr./Parkland, Fla.) was called off the bench and laced the first pitch he saw for a bases-clearing double to right to put the Mids ahead, 7-4.
"We've been able to have the luxury of going to the bench in clutch spots," said Kostacopoulos. "We've been getting very good at bats from our pinch hitters. We've been comfortable being able to pick guys at the right spot.
"There were so many big plays in the second game. Kendall had the big triple in the seventh that tied it for us and Alex (Azor) got it going in the eighth with one out on a 0-2 pitcher's pitch. In the first-three innings, our defense was able to take two or three hits away. Dylan (Wheeler) took away a hit in the first play of the game and Alex made a spectacular diving catch in right-center."
Azor went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Hoosier finished 2-for-3 with his third longball of the season and four RBIs. Speciale and Bolt each also contributed a pair of runs, as eight different Midshipmen recorded a base knock and seven Mids touched home at least once in game two.
In the opener, Navy fell behind with an unearned run in the third before immediately answering back. With the bases loaded and two out, team captain Steven Soares (Sr./Coral Springs, Fla.) laced a two-run single to center that put the hosts ahead, 2-1.
The Midshipmen tacked on a run in the fifth before plating what would be the winning runs one frame later. With two outs in the sixth, freshly inserted first baseman Mike Guadagnini (Jr./Virginia Beach, Va.) and Bolt produced back-to-back run-scoring singles to make the score 5-1.
Navy starter Sam Long (Jr./Newnan, Ga.) was solid over his six-plus innings of work to improve to 2-1 on the year. He allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Reliever Drew Carlson (Sr./Boca Raton, Fla.) did not allow a run in his inning of work with two strikeouts to pick up his second save of the season.
"Sam (Long) was huge for us today," said Kostacopoulos. "We had to fight to get our feet under us defensively and he still gave us six-plus strong innings. He competed really well for us.
"There's nothing more you like to see in your team than it being able to compete and we did that today."
Bolt went 3-for-3 with a walk, run scored and RBI in the opener, while Soares recorded a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a couple of RBIs.
Navy will close out its four-game weekend series with Princeton tomorrow at 12 noon at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. Admission is free for all home Navy baseball games and live stats will be available via GameTracker on www.NavySports.com(.)
DIAMOND NOTES:
- The Midshipmen finished Saturday's twinbill with their record 11 games over .500 ... the last time the Mids found themselves at least that far above the .500 mark was at the end of the 2007 season, where they finished with a school-record 35 wins.
- Navy is 10-3 on its home field this spring, Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium ... it's Navy's best start at home since the 2000 Mids also went 10-3 in their first-13 home games.
- The Mids have come from behind to win nine of their 15 games this spring ... last season, the Midshipmen posted 12 come-from-behind victories.
- Navy's senior class has won 102 games over their three-plus-year careers, which ranks as the fifth-highest total in program history ... Navy's Class of 2010 is only nine wins behind the all-time record of 111 wins by the Class of 2008.
- With Jonathan Berkowitz's go-ahead, three-run double in game two, Navy's pinch hitters are batting .486 (17-for-35) with two doubles, five walks and 15 RBIs.
- The Midshipmen have totaled seven saves from their bullpen this spring, which ranks as the seventh-highest total in program history.
- By virtue of Sam Long's performance in the opener, Navy has received a quality start (6.0+ IP, 3- ER) in four of the last-seven games.
- Navy's defense did not commit an error in game two on Saturday ... the Midshipmen have played error-free baseball in three of the last-seven games.
- The Midshipmen are now 51-40 all-time against Princeton, a former foe in the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League (EIBL) ... it was the first time that the Mids have swept a twinbill from the Tigers since April 16, 1988.
